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The Ben Jacobs Chelsea FC Column!

Chelsea can take plenty of positives from their 2-2 draw with Arsenal. It’s always disappointing to lose a two-goal lead with less than 15 minutes left, but it was still one of Chelsea’s best performances of the season.

Cole Palmer again proved his worth and Marc Cucurella continues to impress. When I spoke to Cucurella over the summer he made it clear he was intent on fighting for his place at Chelsea and he’s doing precisely that. There is no guarantee he’ll be sold or loaned in January. Mauricio Pochettino is impressed by not only his form but his attitude.

Mykhailo Mudryk is starting to settle and got a morale-boosting first Stamford Bridge goal. The Ukrainian also scored a sensational goal whilst on international duty. He might not have entirely meant it – it was clearly a cross-shot – but he did point out after the game he was told David Raya often moved too early to anticipate play and could be exposed.

The biggest negative was obviously Robert Sanchez’s error leading to Declan Rice’s goal. That let Arsenal back into the game and was very sloppy. Sanchez has made some tremendous stops this season but still looks a little shaky with his feet. Pochettino demands ball-playing keepers and Sanchez is going to have to get used to passing under pressure. In this instance, he was just careless and Rice punished him with a superb finish (it wasn't a given to score).