Mikel Arteta said Arsenal must not accept the standards they showed defensively for Chelsea's equaliser in Sunday's 1-1 draw.

Pedro Neto slammed in from distance at Stamford Bridge, 10 minutes after Gabriel Martinelli had put the Gunners ahead.

Arsenal squandered a golden chance late on, when Leandro Trossard nudged wide from William Saliba's cross, leaving Arteta rolling on the touchline in frustration.

But Arteta, who believes Arsenal "dominated" Chelsea despite the Blues registering 17 shots and 1.28 expected goals (xG), singled out the defending for Neto's equaliser as particularly frustrating.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta said: "The disappointment of not getting three points is bigger [than being satisfied] and it will probably be bigger after watching it back.

"I think we dominated them, we were the better team in many phases and situations in the game and after going ahead, very disappointed in the way we conceded.

"It was so poor. It is not [at] our standards and we don't accept [it].

"It is a second phase set piece and we were disorganised. We didn't reorganise quickly enough and you can't allow the pass that way. You need the quality of Neto to do it but our standards were not good enough."

Arsenal have gone four consecutive Premier League games without a win for the first time since April 2023 (D2 L2); the Gunners had picked up all three points in 21 of their previous 25 league matches before this (D3 L1).

This was the fourth time that Arsenal have faced 15+ shots in a Premier League game this season, already twice as many times as they did so across the whole of the 2023-24 campaign (twice).

Arteta was at least buoyed by the return to fitness of Martin Odegaard, who assisted Martinelli on his first appearance since September. Declan Rice, who missed Wednesday's loss to Inter in the Champions League, also played despite injury concerns.

"[He] has been out for six weeks and barely trained with the team," Arteta said of Odegaard, who played the entire match.

"To be able to play at this level in the Premier League tells you how much he looks after himself and the leadership and character he has. Everything flows better with players like this. We clicked much better. You could see everything was flowing but again it is about winning.

"What we have found is that every day we have had to change something big, because we've had problem after problem.

"Normally the team goes down but this team has unbelievable energy and spirit to play."

The draw left Arsenal in fourth, nine points back from Premier League leaders Liverpool heading into the final international break of 2024.

Chelsea did not get the result they wanted but Enzo Maresca believed his team made a statement by fighting back to draw with Arsenal.

Pedro Neto's first Premier League goal for the Blues saw Chelsea restore parity in the 70th minute of Sunday's clash at Stamford Bridge.

Gabriel Martinelli had put the Gunners ahead 10 minutes earlier, and Leandro Trossard squandered a great chance for Arsenal with the final kick of the game.

Chelsea finished with more shots (17 to 13) and a higher expected goals (1.28 to 0.99), and Maresca was satisfied with their performance.

"I enjoyed it, absolutely. The performance was good," he told BBC Sport.

"We know them quite well and we competed pretty well. The performance is very important for us in this moment and it was good. We can rest now and go again.

"The performance from Pedro [Neto] was very good. We played in the way we wanted to, brave, and try and play from the back always.

"It is the way we want to do things. We try and play face-to-face against every team. We are Chelsea, so it is important to send this message."

Neto has now either scored (two) or assisted (one) in each of his last three Premier League starts against Arsenal, with Sunday's goal ending a run of 17 league appearances in a row without him finding the net.

His goal was his first from outside the box in the Premier League since January 1, 2020.

"We wanted to win, but we knew we had hard work in front of us because they are a good team," he told Sky Sports.

"We came to win, so we're not as happy as we wanted to be, but we didn't want to lose and it's a good point against a good team.

"We read the game well. We had moments we could have been better but we've done a good job and we want to keep improving at this level."

The draw ensured Chelsea will end a day in the top three places of the Premier League table for the first time since the final day of the 2021-22 season, when they finished in third.

They face Maresca's former club, Leicester City, after the international break.

Arsenal squandered a golden last-gasp chance as they failed to make up ground on Premier League leaders Liverpool after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Having lost two of their last three league games, Mikel Arteta's Gunners entered Sunday's match 10 points adrift of Liverpool and in need of a victory.

Though Kai Havertz saw a first-half strike disallowed for offside after latching onto Declan Rice's quick free-kick, Arsenal were en route to claiming that win when Gabriel Martinelli – assisted by fit-again captain Martin Odegaard – struck on the hour.

The Brazilian was played onside by Levi Colwill as he took down Odegaard's excellent pass from the corner of the box, allowing him to side-foot past Robert Sanchez at his near post.

However, their lead was short-lived as Pedro Neto cut inside from the right to drill into the bottom-right corner 10 minutes later, scoring his first Premier League goal for Chelsea. 

Leandro Trossard failed to capitalise on a brilliant opportunity with the last kick of the game as he took William Saliba's searching left-wing cross off Havertz's toe with the goal gaping, leaving Arsenal winless in four Premier League games.

They sit fourth with 19 points, behind third-placed Chelsea on goal difference and already nine points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

Data Debrief: Shaky defence prolongs Arsenal slump

Having been beaten at Bournemouth and Newcastle United either side of a 2-2 home draw with Liverpool ahead of Sunday's game, Arsenal have now gone four Premier League matches without a victory.

They last endured a run of that length in April 2023, when their title tilt fell apart at the tail end of the 2022-23 campaign. They had won 21 of their previous 25 league games before their current run began (three draws, one loss).

Arsenal never truly felt in control of proceedings and Chelsea – who fired off 17 attempts – deserved their point after a battling performance.

Arteta's team have now faced 15 or more shots in four Premier League games this season, already twice as many times as they did across the entirety of 2023-24 (twice).

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta does not think that the club need a "reset", despite having failed to win any of their last three Premier League matches.

The Gunners have taken just one point from matches against Bournemouth, Liverpool and Newcastle, leaving them fifth and seven points behind Arne Slot's side at the summit. 

They were also beaten 1-0 by Inter in the Champions League in midweek, meaning it is back-to-back defeats in all competitions and just two wins in six.

But despite their ropey form, Arteta wasn't willing to press the panic button.

"I don't think about [needing a reset]," he told a press conference. "Nobody works harder than me, I guarantee you that.

"We don't need a reset. In one particular aspect we need to go from 95 [effort] to 100. I will not tell you what that is."

Arteta's side travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday to face Chelsea, who come into the game on the back of an 8-0 thrashing of Noah in the Europa Conference League.

However, the Spaniard will be confident of returning to winning ways against a favoured opponent during his time as a Premier League boss. 

Of all managers to face Chelsea at least 10 times in the top-flight, only Kenny Dalglish (77%) has a higher win rate against the Blues than Arteta (60% - W6 D2 L2).

The absence of captain Martin Odegaard has been felt keenly in the Arsenal team, having picked up an injury playing for Norway in the September international break.

He made a stoppage-time cameo against Inter in midweek to return to first-team action and will be in the squad to face Chelsea on Sunday.

Declan Rice, meanwhile, missed the Champions League game through injury and is also a doubt for the trip to Stamford Bridge.

"I have to be very vague on [Rice] because there is no clarity on if he is going to be fit or not for the weekend," said Arteta.

"He hasn't trained yet and it is not clear yet whether he is going to be available."

Enzo Maresca was thrilled with the "serious" performance Chelsea put in during their 8-0 drubbing of Armenian minnows Noah in the Europa Conference League.

Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku scored twice at Stamford Bridge, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Axel Disasi and Mykhailo Mudryk also got themselves on the scoresheet. 

The Blues were six goals to the good by half-time, the biggest advantage by an English side at the break of a major European game since Derby County were winning 9-0 against Finn Harps in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup.

Chelsea are also top of the 36-team league table on goal difference, having scored 16 times in their three matches in the competition so far.

Maresca was impressed by the way his side ensured there was no slacking against evidently inferior opposition.

"I think the players showed how professional and serious they are. It is very easy to sleep in these kind of games," Maresca said after the game.

"Football is full of surprises. It was to show how serious we are, how professional. They showed that and it's an important message for all of us.

"In the first five minutes, we conceded a chance. You have to be focused. The way to show respect to them, don't underestimate them. 

"Football is full of these kind of surprises. We don't need that."

Speaking to TNT Sports, Maresca was especially pleased considering he once again made wholesale changes from the side ordinarily seen in the Premier League.

"Very impressed, especially because we are trying to change players every game. It works well," he added.

"We have good players, and we want them to get minutes. Some of them play in the conference, some in the Premier League, but all of them want to play every game."

The Stamford Bridge faithful could be heard chanting 'we want 10' during the game, but centre-back Adarabioyo was equally delighted with the clean sheet.

"I didn't [know fans were chanting 'we want 10']. Didn't manage 10 but a great result," he told TNT Sports.

"Concentration is key to make sure we have the clean sheet at the end of the game and we managed to do so. I've been thinking I needed a goal soon, so very happy to get one.

"Never take your foot off the gas. We just kept going. Set out for the clean sheet and we managed to get that. We haven't had one for a while."

Up next for Chelsea is a return to Premier League action, hoping to carry the momentum for their convincing triumph against an out of sorts Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

Chelsea continued their quest for the knockout stages of the Europa Conference League by hammering Noah 8-0 on Thursday. 

Enzo Maresca's side are one of six sides still with a perfect record in the competition, but sit top of the pile with their superior goal difference following their Stamford Bridge mauling.

Tosin Adarabioyo headed the hosts into a 12th minute lead before Marc Guiu capitalised on Goncalo Silva's loose pass 84 seconds later to double their advantage. 

Chelsea notched their third from another corner, this time through Axel Disasi, with another defensive error punished by Joao Felix's deft finish over Ognjen Cancarevic. 

Mykhailo Mudryk then netted the pick of the first-half goals with a curled effort into the top corner, with Felix grabbing his brace four minutes before the interval. 

It then took Chelsea 24 minutes to get their seventh. Christopher Nkunku saw his initial effort saved by Cancarevic but was able to squeeze in the rebound at the near post. 

Yan Eteki then fouled Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the box, with a penalty given after a VAR review. Nkunku stepped up and smashed the ball down the middle for his fifth goal of the competition this season. 

Data Debrief: Blues sink Noah's Ark

Chelsea are on a roll in the Europa Conference League and have now scored 16 goals in their three games in the competition so far. 

Six of those came in the first half, with their 6-0 advantage at the interval the biggest by an English side at the break of a major European game since Derby County were winning 9-0 against Finn Harps in the 1976-77 UEFA Cup.

The Blues ended the contest with a whopping 5.44 expected goals (xG) from their 31 shots, compared to Noah's 0.61 from their 15 attempts on Filip Jorgensen's net. 

Ten matches into the Premier League season, Arsenal's hopes of ending their long wait for a league title are already in danger.

Last week's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United made it just seven points from five games, and they now trail leaders Liverpool by seven points.

Injuries and suspensions have taken their toll on Arteta's men, and things do not get much easier for them on Sunday, against a Chelsea team currently above them on goal difference.

Enzo Maresca's Blues fought back to draw 1-1 with Manchester United last time out, and only Manchester City and Liverpool have beaten them since the Italian took over.

We delve into the Opta data to preview Sunday's headline fixture at Stamford Bridge.

What's expected?

Given the two sides are only separated on goal difference ahead of Sunday's match, the Opta supercomputer finds it difficult to split. 

Across 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the supercomputer, Arsenal were victorious in 41.2%, giving them a slight edge over their hosts, who are a 33.2% shot.

The likelihood of a draw is rated at 25.6%, but you sense Arsenal need to take all three points after seeing their hopes of winning the title drop to 4.4% in Opta's season predictions. Chelsea's own hopes are rated at 0.3%, with City (61.9%) still clear favourites ahead of Liverpool (33.4%).

Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against Arsenal (two draws, six defeats), a 2-0 away win in August 2021. The Gunners have managed three victories in their last four league trips to Stamford Bridge (one draw) – as many victories as they recorded in their previous 20 visits (seven draws, 10 defeats).

Arsenal have also won their last six Premier League London derby matches by an aggregate score of 22-3, winning six of those matches by five or more goals.

One such occasion was a 5-0 rout of Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium last April, their biggest-ever margin of victory against the Blues in all competitions.

Blues eye statement victory

When the Premier League fixture list was drawn up, even the most optimistic Chelsea fan may have struggled to visualise the Blues sitting ahead of Arsenal in the table after 10 games.

But Maresca's side have shown promising signs in the early stages of his tenure. Chelsea's last two Premier League defeats this season have come against last season's top three teams – 0-5 versus Arsenal in April, 0-2 versus City in August and 1-2 against Liverpool in October.

They are unbeaten in their last 21 matches against all other teams, winning 14 and drawing seven while scoring 57 goals in total across those games.

The future looks bright for Chelsea, who fielded a starting lineup with an average age of 23 years and 96 days at Old Trafford last week – their youngest-ever XI for a Premier League match against Manchester United.

However, they are still waiting on a first statement win under Maresca, and getting one over on the Gunners would earn him plenty of goodwill among the fans.

Their chances could be decided by the fitness of Cole Palmer, who is an injury doubt after suffering a knock against United.

He opened the scoring when the Blues last welcomed Arsenal to west London for a 2-2 draw last October, scoring his first Premier League goal at Stamford Bridge.

Since then, he has more home goals in the competition than any other player (21), also leading the way for goal involvements (12 – seven goals, five assists, alongside Mohamed Salah) and open-play chances created in 2024-25.

Can fit-again Odegaard get Gunners firing?

Last season, Arsenal won 42 of their 89 Premier League points on their travels, taking nine points from five matches at the homes of their Big Six rivals. 

This campaign, however, their failure to hit top form on the road has threatened to end their latest title tilt before it truly got going. 

Arsenal have collected seven points from five away matches this term, the same amount as Brighton and fewer than Liverpool (13), Nottingham Forest (11), Chelsea, City and Aston Villa (all 10).

While Arteta has long preached the importance of control, Arsenal have simply not been good enough going forward in those matches. They have attempted just 37 shots on the road in the Premier League this season (7.4 per game), with only Brentford (seven) averaging fewer per away match across the entire division.

The fact Arsenal played significant amounts of time at Manchester City and Bournemouth with a numerical disadvantage likely plays a part, but the fact five teams have attempted at least twice as many shots on the road does not make for good reading (Manchester City 90, Tottenham 83, Crystal Palace 79, Bournemouth 78 and Manchester United 74).

Martin Odegaard's return to training after two months out with an ankle injury is a major boost, with the Norwegian having led all players in the Premier League for expected assists (11.17 xA) and chances created from open play (88) last season.

Arsenal have actually outperformed their underlying attacking metrics this campaign, netting 17 league goals from 15.75 expected goals (xG), so their finishing does not appear to be an issue. The fact they rank eighth in the league for xG does, however, suggest chance creation is a problem.

Arteta will hope Odegaard's return can make the difference, or a title challenge may prove a bridge too far. The last time they lost three successive away Premier League games was in December 2021, and they went on to miss out on a top-four finish that season.

The Norwegian was a late substitute as they were beaten 1-0 by Inter in the Champions League on Wednesday. They have now lost three of their last six games in all competitions, as many as their previous 32 beforehand.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea – Nicolas Jackson 

Since the start of last season, Chelsea striker Jackson has been involved in more London derby goals than any other player in the Premier League (10 goals, two assists).

All of his 12 involvements have come in his last nine such appearances, and he already has six Premier League goals this term.

Arsenal – Bukayo Saka 

Saka has provided more assists than any other player in the Premier League this season (seven). 

He has also either scored (once) or assisted (twice) a goal in each of his last three away games against Chelsea in the Premier League, with Sergio Aguero (2013 to 2017) and Javier Hernandez (2012 to 2018) the only visiting players to do so in four consecutive appearances.

Cole Palmer's availability for Chelsea's crunch Premier League clash with Arsenal on Sunday is still to be decided.

Blues talisman Palmer was on the end of a painful challenge from Lisandro Martinez in last week's draw with Manchester United.

With seven goals and five assists in the Premier League already this season, following a breakout campaign last time out, Chelsea will be keen to have Palmer back for their next league match against Arsenal.

But Enzo Maresca revealed ahead of his side's Conference League meeting with Noah that Palmer was yet to train with the team again.

Palmer is not part of Chelsea's European squad for the league phase and so would not have featured on Thursday regardless, but his status for the Arsenal encounter is uncertain.

"Cole didn't train [on Tuesday], so we will see today if he can train with us," Maresca said on Wednesday.

"We hope [he will be available for Sunday]. We need to wait and see and then decide."

Chelsea are fourth in the Premier League, above Arsenal on goal difference, while they lead the Conference League table after two matches.

Maresca's men have so far succeeded in that competition due to their incredible strength in depth, although the vast number of options means some star names are struggling to see minutes in the Premier League.

Asked about Joao Felix and Christopher Nkunku, Maresca said: "I would like to give him more minutes in the Premier League, but I have said many times: we need defensive balance and we cannot play with Joao, Cole, Christo.

"I like to put all of them inside the pitch, but then you also have to defend and you need the right balance between the two phases of attacking and defending.

"This is the only reason why. There is no doubt if Joao keeps working well, he is going to find his moment also in the Premier League."

We are now 10 games into the Premier League season and the table is beginning to take shape, but that does not mean there is no room for an upset or two.

On Saturday, both Manchester City and Arsenal fell to surprise defeats at Bournemouth and Newcastle United respectively. 

It was only the third time since the start of 2017-18 that both of the previous season's top two teams had lost on the same day in the Premier League, after March 7, 2021 and January 14, 2023.

Pep Guardiola's champions could have few complaints about the result at the Vitality Stadium, where Andoni Iraola's Cherries won the expected goals (xG) battle by 2.04 to 1.56.

But which other games featured a lucky winner or an unlucky loser? We delve into the Opta data to find out.

Unlucky losers: Arsenal

The weekend's action began with Arsenal travelling to St James' Park to face Newcastle, with Mikel Arteta's side chasing a victory to move within a point of leaders Liverpool.

However, they succumbed to a 1-0 defeat as Alexander Isak's early goal proved enough for Newcastle to make it three wins in their last four home league games against Arsenal (one loss).

The Gunners could count themselves unlucky to come away from Tyneside with nothing, however, after limiting Newcastle to a measly 0.53 xG – 0.25 of which came from the chance for Isak's goal.

Only West Ham, who played half of their defeat to Nottingham Forest with 10 men, created a lower figure across the nine games to take place this weekend, with 0.13 xG.

Arsenal were far from their free-flowing best, though, only recording 10 attempts worth 1.05 xG themselves. They have averaged just 7.4 shots per game in their away Premier League matches this season, with only Brentford (7.5) taking fewer.

Lucky winners: Southampton 

Just two teams – Wolves and Ipswich Town – remain without a victory in the Premier League after Southampton finally got off the mark by beating Everton 1-0 at St Mary's.

Russell Martin's team accumulated just 0.74 xG to Everton's 1.56, but Adam Armstrong's strike five minutes from time handed them a huge three points in their fight for safety.

While Beto, who headed against the crossbar just 25 seconds before Armstrong's winner, and Jack Harrison spurned great chances for the Toffees, Southampton were also grateful for a late VAR intervention, as the former saw a potential leveller chalked off for a marginal offside call.

It was the first time Everton had failed to score against Southampton in the Premier League since February 2022, bringing their five-match unbeaten run in the competition to a halt.

Unlucky losers: Crystal Palace

Southampton ended the weekend in 19th, above winless Wolves after they were pegged back in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Molineux.

Marc Guehi salvaged a draw for the Eagles, who were without star men Adam Wharton and Eberechi Eze yet arguably still did enough to leave the West Midlands with all three points.

They racked up 19 shots totalling 2.51 xG to their hosts' 11, which had a total value of 1.51 xG. Palace's xG figure was the highest in the Premier League this weekend, but they were missing their shooting boots as Ismaila Sarr squandered two glorious chances when they were a goal to the good in the second half. 

With both defences struggling, this was only the second Premier League game of the season to be goalless at half-time but see both sides score at least twice in the second half, after Everton 2-3 Bournemouth in August.

There could have been a fifth goal in stoppage time, too, as Jean-Phillipe Mateta saw a potential winner disallowed for a foul on Jose Sa in the build-up. Wolves – and their under-fire head coach Gary O'Neil – arguably got away with one.

Lucky winners: Chelsea 

Sunday's late game saw Chelsea fight back to draw 1-1 with Manchester United at Old Trafford, denying Ruud van Nistelrooy a first Premier League win as the Red Devils' interim head coach.

Moises Caicedo's well-taken volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' penalty and Chelsea arguably looked the more likely victors in the second half, but they only generated 1.1 xG from their 12 attempts – and just 0.29 from six after the interval.

United, meanwhile, had chances worth 1.98 xG, though Fernandes' spot-kick – with an xG value of 0.79 – was a major contributing factor.

Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho squandered decent opportunities for United, though, and incoming boss Ruben Amorim has plenty of work to do with their attackers.

United have scored just nine goals in 10 Premier League games this season – their worst record through 10 matches of any league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine).

Fans of a certain vintage will need no reminder of what happened at the end of that season – United were relegated from the First Division, their fate sealed by club legend Denis Law scoring against them with a nonchalant backheel, while representing rivals Man City.

Ruud van Nistelrooy revealed he has not spoken to incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim after leading the Red Devils to a point against Chelsea on Sunday. 

Van Nistelrooy, taking interim charge of his first Premier League game, saw Bruno Fernandes open the scoring from the spot in the 70th minute after Robert Sanchez's clumsy challenge on Rasmus Hojlund. 

But Moises Caicedo's strike four minutes later sealed a share of the spoils at Old Trafford, though the performance left plenty for Amorim to ponder upon his arrival in Manchester.

Van Nistelrooy will oversee United's next two games against PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester City before Amorim takes the reins on November 11. 

The Dutchman joined previous manager Erik ten Hag's coaching staff in July, but it remains to be seen whether he will remain at Old Trafford once Amorim arrives. 

"Over the coming days we will be in communication, and I am waiting for that," Van Nistelrooy said.

"What is more important is that we are in training tomorrow and prepare for the game on Thursday. I haven’t spoken to him [Amorim] yet, but it will happen.

“You saw today that we competed well against a very good side. This is the way forward for this group of players."

The result, however, moved United on to 12 points, but marked their worst return after 10 games of a league campaign since 1986-87 (eight).

Meanwhile, the Red Devils' total of nine goals is their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine), though Van Nistelrooy was happy with the display. 

“I am disappointed we didn’t win, we had the better of the chances in the game. But overall the performance was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch," he added. 

“It was a great moment, the goal, when Old Trafford explodes. Bruno Fernandes did well taking it and the emotion came out.

"This week has been special, I have enjoyed every second of it. I am here to help and will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows.

“We are behind the new manager, everyone at the new club is focusing on the two games that are very important, but then we will work hard to make this club better every day."

Fernandes echoed the thoughts of his manager, but said the result was one that frustrated his team-mates at full-time. 

“We did fight, we could have won the game. Chelsea also played a good game, it was good from both teams but not the result we wanted," Fernandes said. 

"I always look at the goalkeeper before facing them. He [Robert Sanchez] saved a penalty from me last season, but I was successful.

"Every week here is challenging, if we win or lose."

Fernandes has now scored 32 of his 36 penalties for United (89%), with his three penalty goals against Chelsea being his joint-most against any opponent (also three v Aston Villa).

Enzo Maresca believes it was "quite clear for all of us" that Lisandro Martinez should have been sent off for his "dangerous" challenge on Cole Palmer during Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Manchester United.

The spoils were shared at Old Trafford, where a superb Moises Caicedo volley cancelled out Bruno Fernandes' earlier penalty.

However, Maresca felt United should have been reduced to 10 men following Martinez's late tackle on Palmer, with referee Robert Jones showing the defender a yellow card following a VAR review.

"I think it is quite clear for all of us, but the referee took a different decision," he said. "When you don’t go for the ball and just the man, it is a red. There is no intention to take the ball and it is dangerous."

Nevertheless, the Italian was pleased with the way his players dealt with facing United, who were overseen by interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy in their first league game since Erik ten Hag's dismissal.

"We are happy because we knew how difficult it would be," Maresca added. "The [United] players want to prove they're good enough. A new manager with different ideas, so we had to prepare a different way.

"Overall, United were similar [to under Ten Hag], we expected them to be a bit more aggressive. For a large part of the game, we were in control, there was a desire to win the game, and we lost our balance in the last 10 minutes or so.

"When you go down in this stadium, it's very difficult to come back, but we did that. Then, we tried to win it."

"We knew if we waited for a long time [to equalise], it was going to be complicated," Caicedo told BBC Sport. "I'm so happy to equalise.

"We deserved to win. We knew it would be a tough game, but we were prepared for it. I'm so happy for the team. It was a great fight."

Moises Caicedo denied Ruud van Nistelrooy a first Premier League win as Manchester United’s interim head coach as the midfielder's goal earned Chelsea a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Following a first half that lacked quality, the Theatre of Dreams burst into life when Robert Sanchez hauled down Rasmus Hojlund inside the penalty area 20 minutes from time.

Bruno Fernandes, so often United’s main man under former boss Erik ten Hag, stepped up and sent the Chelsea goalkeeper the wrong way to put the hosts on course for a much-needed win.

But the Red Devils’ joy was short-lived thanks to a bolt from Chelsea blue, courtesy of the right foot of Caicedo, who sent a first-time volley into the bottom-left corner.

The draw saw Chelsea edge past Arsenal and into the top four, while United moved up one place in the table, going 13th. 

Data Debrief: Ruud awakening

While Ruben Amorim's impending arrival at Old Trafford brought positivity back to Old Trafford, Van Nistelrooy was unable to stop United's faltering start to the season. 

With just 12 points won, this is the Red Devils' worst return after 10 games of a league campaign since 1986-87 (eight).

Meanwhile, their total of nine goals is their fewest at this stage of a league campaign since 1973-74 (also nine).

But their latest result was perhaps a result waiting to happen. Eight of the last 13 meetings between United and Chelsea in the Premier League have ended level, while this is the fixture with the most total draws in the competition’s history (27).

Erik ten Hag seemed doomed at Manchester United and the period after winning the FA Cup became, as expected, a stay of execution.

United sacked the Dutchman on Monday, placing his compatriot - and club great - Ruud van Nistelrooy in temporary charge.

They have moved swiftly to try and appoint a permanent successor, though, with Ruben Amorim of Sporting CP the target.

Amorim has promised to provide clarity over his future after Sporting's league game on Friday, but it does seem certain that Van Nistelrooy – who oversaw a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday – will be in charge for the visit of in-form Chelsea on Sunday.

United's two Premier League matches at Old Trafford against other Big Six sides this season did not go well for Ten Hag, with the Red Devils beaten 3-0 by both Liverpool and Tottenham.

But will it be different now he has gone?

What's expected?

United are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games against Chelsea (W5 D6) and are looking to win three in a row against the Blues at Old Trafford for the first time since January 1957.

But United have picked up just 11 points after nine Premier League matches this season (W3 D2 L4), which is their second-fewest ever total at this stage – only in 2019-20 did they have fewer points at this point (10). 

They have only lost four of their opening nine Premier League games on two occasions, with both coming in the last two seasons under Ten Hag.

These sides last met in April, with Chelsea coming from behind to win a thriller 4-3 at Stamford Bridge. The Blues last won consecutive league meetings with the Red Devils in March 2011 (a run of three).

United vs Chelsea is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 26 of the previous 64 meetings between the sides finishing level and the Opta supercomputer is forecasting a close encounter this time.

In 37.8% of the model's simulations, United came out on top. Chelsea were the winners in 37.3%, with the probability of a draw coming in at 24.9%.

A new era

Ten Hag lost 32% of his Premier League games in charge of United (27/85), the joint-highest percentage along with David Moyes (11/34).

Seven of his 27 defeats, meanwhile, came via stoppage-time winners, the highest percentage (26%) of any manager to lose 20+ games in Premier League history.

While Amorim looks likely to come in soon, this is a chance for Van Nistelrooy to get a much-needed feel-good factor back at Old Trafford. United are down in 14th, so they could do with a win.

Their five-goal haul in midweek was a timely boost, given that finishing chances has been such a big issue.

Only Southampton and Crystal Palace (six each) have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than United (eight).

United have underperformed their expected goals by 6.8 (xG of 14.8), the worst differential of any side in 2024-25. Since 2022-23, only Everton (-26) have underperformed their xG by more than United (-17-9 – 123 goals from an xG of 140.9).

All the young Blues

Scoring goals has not been an issue for Chelsea under Enzo Maresca.

The Blues have scored 19 goals in the league this term, which is a tally bettered only by league leaders Manchester City. Chelsea have also accumulated the third-highest xG in the league (17.3), behind Tottenham (17.7) and City (18.5).

But in their last away game in the league, Chelsea struggled to click into gear in attack and lost 2-1 to Liverpool.

Arne Slot's team are a step above United in terms of quality, but Maresca will want his side to take the game to their opponents at Old Trafford.

Maresca has gone with youth this season, so a fearless approach that has mostly been present in the league is perhaps no surprise.

Chelsea have named the youngest average starting XI in the Premier League this season (23 years, 206 days). In their 2-1 win over Newcastle, they became just the second team in Premier League history to not name a single outfield player aged 25+ in their starting XI for a match, after Aston Villa who did so in two games in 2013.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Man Utd - Bruno Fernandes

Against Leicester, Fernandes recorded his 150th and 151st goal involvements for Manchester United, becoming the seventh player overall to do so in Europe’s big five leagues in all competitions since his debut and first midfielder to do so.

Chelsea - Cole Palmer

Palmer has been directly involved in 33 Premier League goals for Chelsea in 2024 (21 goals, 12 assists). Only two players have had more goals and assists in a year for the Blues: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in 2001 (25 goals, 11 assists) and Didier Drogba in 2010 (22 goals, 13 assists).

He scored in both of Chelsea’s Premier League games against United last season, including a hat-trick in a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge. The only Chelsea players to score in three consecutive Premier League games against them are Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (2000-2001) and Juan Mata (2012-2013).

Eddie Howe hopes Newcastle United "feel a bit better about themselves" after booking their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea.

The Magpies claimed only their second victory in seven matches across all competitions, with Alexander Isak and an Axel Disasi own goal sending them through to the last eight.

Howe's side were beaten 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Sunday, and the head coach was pleased with his players' response against the same opposition three days on.

"[A] really good performance tonight, especially in the first half," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. 

"We got our pressing attitude bang on and got a lot of regains high up the pitch, which is where the first goal came from. [I am] delighted with the contribution from the whole squad.

"You always learn from every game and try to put things into practice in the next match. I just felt there was a better feel in our out of possession delivery tonight. We were much better on the details and turning the regains into chances going forwards.

"[In the] second half, it wasn't an easy game to manage. They were bringing on some good players from the bench to add to the quality they already had on the pitch, but I thought we defended really well.

"This place is an amazing venue to play in and that was shown again tonight. Sold out, great atmosphere, good performance and I hope everyone feels a bit better about themselves now."

Meanwhile, Chelsea suffered only their second defeat in 11 games across all competitions, but Enzo Maresca was impressed by what he saw from the visitors, who had an xG of 1.97 over the 90 minutes at St James' Park.

"I think it worked if we analysed the performance. If we analysed the result, it didn't work," he told reporters during his post-match press conference.

"For 20 minutes until their goal, we were in control of the game. In the last 10 minutes of the first half, we had two clear-cut chances but didn't score. In the second half, we were in control of the game.

"We lost the goals because of 10 minutes. For the rest, we were quite good. We did very well tonight, but there are many things we can do better."

Brentford await Newcastle in the next round after the Magpies made the quarter-finals for a fourth time in the last five seasons.

Newcastle United booked their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea at St James' Park.

Eddie Howe's side struck twice in the space of three first-half minutes through Alexander Isak and an Axel Disasi own goal, which proved enough to seal their progress.

Just three days after Chelsea overcame Newcastle in the Premier League, Joelinton struck the post from an Isak cross early on Wednesday, while Renato Veiga's shot deflected narrowly wide at the other end.

Newcastle broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Chelsea were caught in possession at the back, with Sandro Tonali finding Isak, who calmly slotted past Filip Jorgensen.

Isak was involved again when he latched onto a quickly taken free-kick before his deflected cross was helped on by Joe Willock, before Disasi turned the ball into his own net just three minutes later.

Chelsea looked to respond and controlled large periods of the second half as Joao Felix went closest to scoring when he chipped marginally wide in the 75th minute.

William Osula almost added a third for Newcastle following a swift counter that culminated in the substitute striking the post, but the two-goal cushion was sufficient enough to get the Magpies over the line.

Data Debrief: Magpies march into another quarter-final

Newcastle find themselves in extremely familiar territory, after progressing to their fourth EFL Cup quarter-final in the last five seasons.

The Magpies' only win from their previous six matches across all competitions came against AFC Wimbledon in the previous round, but they upset the form book here.

Now unbeaten in each of their last 12 EFL Cup matches when scoring first, Howe's side condemned Chelsea to only a second defeat in 11 games.