With confidence we can predict that no London club will win the Premier League in the next eight seasons, continuing a streak that began seven years ago.

After a derby that was full of aggression but lacking in class, the two top teams in the capital are now nine points behind Liverpool, the undisputed leaders.

Although Enzo Maresca has received immense praise for bringing some semblance of order to Chelsea, he has failed to win a match against any of the so-called “Big Six” clubs.

With Mikel Arteta finally able to field a full-strength squad today, Arsenal have lost their previous four Premier League matches and are no longer in title contention.

 

After Kai Havertz—the man who won Chelsea the European Cup in 2021—had a first-half shot disallowed for a fag-paper offside, Pedro Neto blasted home an equalizer to cancel out Gabriel Martinelli’s second-half opening.

The fact that England winger Bukayo Saka hobbled off the field in the closing minutes just added insult to injury for Arteta, since it means he may not play in their upcoming matches against Ireland and Greece.

No one will be too worried about it, though, because England manager Thomas Tuchel isn’t even going to miss those.

Despite only one victory in five league matches, Chelsea can take heart from a significant improvement from their 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Arsenal under Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure.

After missing two months due to an ankle injury, Gunners captain Martin Odegaard was back in the starting lineup, and Declan Rice also played despite suffering a fractured toe.

Neither club loves Tottenham more than the other, so this London derby might not be the most animose, although you would have thought otherwise.

With the exception of the infrequent sound of studs hitting bone, the cacophony of the throng resounded all around the Bridge.

After Odegaard’s return to the Premier League was greeted by a brutal late challenge from Moises Caicedo, Levi Colwill was sent off for a reducer on Saka.

Chelsea and Arsenal shared the points in a drab London derbyCredit: Getty

Both sides hit the target in a 1-1 draw at Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty

A physical match saw both sides put in big challengesCredit: Getty

Tempers threatened to spill over at times in a heated clash

There had been a clear, and understandable, Chelsea policy of suffocation towards Saka – who spent much of the afternoon being pursued by Marc Cucurella, with the eagerness of a King Charles spaniel after a stick.

Meanwhile, there was a little football too – Cole Palmer, who passed a late fitness test, forced David Raya to push over a powerful 20-yarder and Neto was threatening carnage down the left.

First, the speedy Portuguese had a cross nodded wide by Noni Madueke, then after he had taunted Ben White with his bobs and feints, he centred again for Malo Gusto to head over from close range.

Arsenal, with more of the ball but fewer of the chances, did go close through Gabriel Martinelli – whose shot was beaten away by Robert Sanchez – before they thought they had taken the lead.

Gabriel Martinelli opened the scoring when he fired past Robert SanchezCredit: Getty

The ace was one of the brighter players on the pitch

It was the two men decried as ‘Chelsea rejects’ by the Bridge faithful – Declan Rice and Kai Havertz – who combined to find the net.

Rice, ditched by the Blues at the age of 14, played a cute quick free-kick which Chelsea off-guard and off-balance, allowing Havertz to slot past Sanchez.

Rice and Havertz bumped chests but their glee was cut short by the dreaded Stockley Park Killjoy Squad who deemed the German forward’s shoulder had leaned a few millimetres ahead of the foot of the last defender.

After half an hour of enjoyable old-school cut and thrust, here was a moment of forensic nonsense to slow the pulse.

Pedro Neto had other ideas as he banged in Chelsea’s equaliserCredit: Reuters

The winger’s impact sent Stamford Bridge wild

After the break, Wesley Fofana spooned over a Madueke cross but on the hour, Arsenal were in front.

As with the disallowed goal, Chelsea simply switched off and forgot to defend one flank as Odegaard’s crossfield pass found two men in wide open space, one of whom, Martinelli, tucked home.

The Arsenal fans who had been slaughtering ref Michael Oliver for the petty booking of Havertz, forgot about all that and rejoiced awhile.

Jurrien Timber threatened to double the lead by beating three Chelsea defenders only to ping his shot narrowly wide.

Kai Havertz missed a sitter at the deathCredit: Getty

Mikel Arteta pounded the ground in frustrationCredit: Getty

But when Maresca introduced his £106million sub Enzo Fernandez, the Argentinian soon teed up the equaliser.

Fernandez located Neto, who had drifted inside and into space, where he drilled one past Raya into the bottom corner.

Nicolas Jackson soon had the ball in the net but was miles offside and then he duffed a header after Raya had duffed a punched clearance – a sequence which pretty much summed up the afternoon.

Yet Havertz could have won it at the death when he threw himself at a ball travelling across Chelsea’s box.

But the former Blue could not get near it, leaving boss Arteta pounding the turf in fury.