IF MANAGING Arsenal does not turn Mikel Arteta’s hair grey, then nothing will.
For no team on earth can test the colour of a manager’s follicles more than them.
Arsenal salvaged a late point at Stamford Bridge to shock ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Arteta’s concrete-set, jet-black barnet seems to be holding up so far — but then again, he is barely a month into the job.
Last night he watched Arsenal press the self-destruct button in the first half, only for their ten men to comeback twice on a breathless night as Hector Bellerin’s late goal snatched a stunning point.
Teenager Gabriel Martinelli’s lung bursting 80 yard sprint from box-to-box and sublime finish after 65 minutes was their first shot of any kind.
It was only their second that earned them a second equaliser and a hard fought draw when skipper Hector Bellerin scored with just three minutes left.
Two shots, two goals, one red card and one point.
While Arteta can take pride in how his normally flaky Gunners refused to buckle, it must have been a nightmare to watch, as cool as the Spaniard looked on the outside.
Much more of his and Arteta will be reaching for a bottle of hair dye and maybe even some strong stuff to hide his roots and settle his nerves.
David Luiz was sent off on his return to Stamford BridgeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Luiz gave away a penalty after taking down Tammy AbrahamCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
The Gunners looked set for their traditional hiding at Stamford Bridge when Arteta’s defence imploded on 26 minutes.
Debate will rage on and on about whether it was Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi or even keeper Bernd Leno who was culpable.
But when things go badly wrong at the back, it is never a surprise that Luiz is in the mix.
The haphazard centre half is known much more for his dreadful errors of judgement than his Premier League and Champions League titles.
The Chelsea fans who hid their eyes behind their hands when he played for them up until last summer will testify to that.
The return to his old club lasted just 26 minutes last night but he still managed to have a massive say in the outcome of a match which for Chelsea was important but which for new club Arsenal was huge.
Conceding a penalty with a clumsy lunge at Tammy Abraham from the back sent him for an early bath with a red card.
It also deprived the Chelsea fans of any further chance to continue to boo and heckle their former player to distraction – not that it takes much.
David Luiz mocked by Chelsea fans on return to Stamford Bridge after being sent off for Arsenal
Jorginho converted the penalty to put Chelsea aheadCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
In Luiz’s defence, and it’s not one that would stand up in court very long, is that he was thrown under a bus by his central defensive partner Mustafi and his keeper.
Mustafi’s shockingly tame back pass to Leno fell woefully short and Abraham was onto it in a flash through the middle.
The Chelsea striker rounded the keeper and his weak attempt to leg him over in a flash and was clean through.
Luiz at least made up the ground chasing back but rather than let his one-time teammate score and at least get to stay on the pitch, he took the man down from behind.
It wasn’t even neat; all arms, legs and fuzzy hair tangled up with the prone Abraham.
Even though Mustafi was back guarding the goal line, Luiz was rightly sent off as with keeper Leno out of the way, he was technically the last man back so had to go.
Jorginho cooly tucked away the penalty after Luiz had trudged off the pitch – to surprise high fives from his team-mates and congratulations from his boss as he crossed the touchline.
Maybe Arteta had a feeling that Arsenal would be better without him as it later proved.
Chelsea celebrate after Jorginho opens the lead at Stamford BridgeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
With Luiz long showered and changed and the insipid Mesut Ozil also off, Arsenal found their footing at last in the second half and did better with ten men than a full complement.
While it was too much to ask for many attacking opportunities, they slowly steadied themselves and got a lucky break from a Chelsea corner.
Mustafi headed the ball clear to the edge of his box where Martinelli picked it up and dashed for Chelsea’s half of the pitch.
He was handed a miracle when the man with the lowest centre of gravity on the pitch., Chelsea’s pint-sized midfielder N’Golo Kante, slipped in front of him, allowing the youngster to gallop free.
His legs must have been jelly by the time he reached the other end of the pitch but he still found the strength to slip the ball past Chelsea keeper Kepa and set up a frantic finale.
One of the craziest aspects of it all is that Mustafi who headed the ball out of his own box to the goalscorer, will be able to claim an assist, from inside his own area.
Chelsea pushed for the winner and looked to have secured it when Arsenal’s defence slipped up again.
Robin van Persie talks about Martinelli, Pepe and Arsenal under Arteta
After N’Golo Kante slipped Gabriel Martinelli went through on goal and equalisedCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Arsenal celebrate in front of the travelling Gunners fansCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Callum Hudson-Odoi crossed for skipper Cesar Azpilicueta to dart unmarked into the six yard box and bury the ball.
But in a performance that was most unArsenal-like, Arteta’s men did not succumb but instead stuck one on Chelsea and their Achilles heel.
With just moments left one final push saw Bellerin, back in the side and immediately made captain, twist one way then another before firing home from outside the box and watch the out-of-form Kepa mistime his dive and score.
Cesar Azpilicueta bundled it what he thought was a Chelsea winnerCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Azpilicueta thought he had snatched a late winner for ChelseaCredit: PA:Press Association
Hector Bellerin curled in a late equaliser for the GunnersCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Resilient 10-men Arsenal were rewarded with a point at Stamford BridgeCredit: News Group Newspapers Ltd
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
