arsenal 0-0

Independent:

Chelsea stay on the defensive as Gunners fire blanks
Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0: October extravaganza a distant memory as cautious Di Matteo has one eye on Barcelona and Wenger laments his team's missed chance to cement their hold on third place

Steve Tongue

In making eight changes for a critical London derby yesterday, Chelsea decided to put most of their eggs in the Champions' League basket, hoping Barcelona do not make a Spanish omelette with them on Tuesday. The choice of personnel signified that bridging a seven-point gap with Arsenal was not regarded as a realistic proposition, but they were still satisfied with a draw from what was surely one of the dullest of the 150 League meetings between the clubs.

Arsène Wenger, paradoxically, was less pleased, acknowledging that failing to win in successive home games – Wigan had brought off a stunning success here last Monday – leaves his team vulnerable to a renewed challenge from Tottenham and even Newcastle, who climbed above Spurs in the table after the latter's defeat.
The other blow for him was losing Theo Walcott for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury, although the winger should be ready for England's pre-European Championship friendlies against Norway and Belgium in five weeks' time.
Compared to the 5-3 extravaganza at Stamford Bridge in October, when Andre Villas-Boas's high defensive line was repeatedly breached by Arsenal's pace, this was poor stuff all round, in which the best performers were all defenders. The only three Chelsea survivors from last Wednesday's victory over Barcelona, Petr Cech, Gary Cahill and John Terry, were generally solid and neither Laurent Koscielny with a free header nor an off-key Robin van Persie could take advantage of the few lapses. Even better was Ryan Bertrand, a left-back who must curse the day Ashley Cole joined Chelsea from Arsenal but made the most of a rare chance this time.
At the other end of the pitch, Fernando Torres and the recently overlooked Daniel Sturridge could make no impression and Roberto Di Matteo must be desperate for Wednesday's goalscoring warrior Didier Drogba to have recovered from a knee injury for the second leg on Tuesday. "At this moment of time, I don't know," he said of the Ivorian's chances. "We'll have to assess the players tomorrow. He has an injury on his knee, so it's whether the progression will be quick enough."
The manager was getting carried away, however, in hailing a "brilliant" performance, even with so many changes against a side third in the table. Some would say the term "reserves" is no longer relevant, though the fact was that Chelsea included eight players who could not win a place in the first leg against Barcelona and would not expect to do so for the return.
To that extent it was a missed opportunity for Arsenal, whose manager admitted: "Going forward we didn't find our quick passing game. The regret we have today is that we played with the handbrake offensively,and not as cleanly as we can. We didn't open them up enough, and it was a bit similar to what we saw against Wigan."
Wenger was not alone in his surprise and disappointment that the game was not more open, Chelsea apparently happy to settle for a draw and maximise their opportunities in the last four matches, of which three are at home, including one against Newcastle. "They had three defensive midfielders in the middle, so it was difficult to play through there, and it was very physical as well," he said. "They adopted the system they played against Barcelona. They wanted to practise for Tuesday night."
Di Matteo's response was: "I think we had almost as many attempts as they had. They had a couple of chances from set-plays but didn't really create many clear-cut chances. They were playing at home, we were away, and we looked dangerous on the break many times. We could have snatched the three points. It was always going to be difficult from the first day, qualifying for fourth place, but we're still in the running and we'll fight until the last day of the season to see if we can get in there."
Arsenal looked if anything the more tired side, missing Mikel Arteta in midfield as Aaron Ramsey constantly gave the ball away. The few chances for either side tended to come in little flurries, starting with Van Persie jabbing Walcott's cleverly-flighted free-kick against the outside of a post. Nearer to half-time, Koscielny drifted free of blue shirts to head a Van Persie free-kick against the bar and the Dutchman eluded Cahill to latch on to Alex Song's perceptive pass, only to be foiled by Cech's one notable save of the afternoon.
Arsenal's goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, was no busier, his only task being to hold Sturridge's low shot in the 68th minute, which he was more than equal to. From there the game deteriorated into a succession of substitutions and yellow cards. Wenger admitted Arsenal should have made one of their changes earlier, the first time that Walcott felt a strain. He came back on after treatment but within a couple of minutes was down again in greater pain. "It looks a serious hamstring injury," the manager said. "But he should be OK to play for England. He'll just have a good rest."
Rest, as Cahill said afterwards, is as much as Chelsea can do amid what Di Matteo called "a crazy schedule" so they were grateful not to have collected any further injuries. This was the sixth of their eight games in April. Now for the most important of them all.

Arsenal (4-1-3-1): Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Song, Ramsey; Walcott (Gervinho, 60), Rosicky (Diaby, 64), Oxlade-Chamberlain (Santos, 69); Van Persie.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Cahill, Terry, Bertrand (Cole, 77); Romeu (Mikel, 66); Sturridge, Essien, Malouda, Kalou (Mata, 74); Torres.
Referee Mike Dean.
Man of the match Terry (Chelsea).
Match rating 5/10.

As luck would have it
Five times in the past two games Chelsea have been saved by the bar or post.
Against Barcelona last Wednesday, when the visitors had 15 shots on target to the home side's two, Alexis Sanchez chipped Petr Cech early on but hit the bar. Just before half-time Cesc Fabregas beat the goalkeeper but the shot was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole, deflecting the ball against a post. In added time the Shed End breathed again as Pedro's shot rebounded from a post in front of them.
Yesterday's first let-off came when Robin van Persie jabbed against the outside of a post from close in. Then Laurent Koscielny was left free to head against the bar. Chelsea survived with a second clean sheet.


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Observer:

Arsenal and Chelsea share frustration and points at Emirates
Arsenal 0  Chelsea 0

David Hytner at the Emirates Stadium

Chelsea's blueprint for Champions League glory was laid out last Wednesday. To the dismay of Arsène Wenger, it was fine-tuned here. Whether in pre-match hope or expectation, the Arsenal manager had described the defensive strategy that Chelsea adopted against Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final first-leg as a "one-day situation".
Wrong. Roberto Di Matteo made wholesale changes to his starting XI as he contended with Chelsea's "crazy" schedule but the approach that he employed to secure the 1-0 scoreline that his team will take to the Camp Nou on Tuesday was not dissimilar. Three midfielders sat in front of a back four that put their bodies on the line; there was pace in wide areas, and there was a result that Di Matteo and his players said they were happy with. One thing was clear. Chelsea will sign up for more of the same in Catalonia.
It could be that Chelsea's most realistic route into next season's Champions League lies in them winning the tournament this time out. Although they still have Newcastle United to play at Stamford Bridge, they are running out of opportunities to gatecrash the Premier League's top four.
The frustration, though, belonged to Arsenal. Hard on the heels of Monday's home loss to Wigan Athletic, this was a game that Wenger wanted to win and he felt that his team had the chances to do so. He lamented a "very unfair result" and it seems as though Arsenal are spluttering to the finish, even if they remain the slight favourites to come in behind the Manchester clubs for the final automatic Champions League qualifying berth.
Their trips to Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion, either side of the home game against Norwich City, could feature anxiety.
Wenger complained that his team had been forced to play the role of stooges. "Chelsea adopted the system they played against Barcelona," he said. "They wanted to practice for Tuesday night." But he had other grumbles, which went beyond a strangely disjointed performance from his team.
Robin van Persie, he said, should have had a penalty in the 80th minute when Gary Cahill appeared to shove him, while the clearest chances of a dismal game did fall to those in red, with Van Persie, on his 50th appearance of the season for club and country, curiously off-colour in front of goal. Laurent Koscielny also headed against the crossbar, from Van Persie's chipped free-kick, in the 42nd minute. It spoke volumes for the spectacle that one of the principal talking points was the hamstring injury that Theo Walcott suffered, which forced his withdrawal and will rule him out of Arsenal's remaining matches. Stuart Pearce, the England caretaker manager, who was in the crowd, will hope that the winger can recover in time for Euro 2012, as Wenger predicted he would.
Walcott had felt the hamstring after tracking back in the 57th minute only to carry on after treatment. When he pulled up and collapsed to the turf on the hour, following a forward surge, it was possible to wonder why he had not already been withdrawn or withdrawn himself.
The home crowd were irritated at their team's lack of tempo and inspiration. All of Arsenal's creative talents were under par. With Chelsea massing men behind the ball when they did not have it, it was heavy going, not least for the neutral. What is it about early kick-offs?
Di Matteo's selection had felt a little scratchy, with only three of his line-up certain to start at the Camp Nou – Petr Cech, Cahill and the indefatigable John Terry. It was the substitutes' bench that was well stocked with leading players. Chelsea's ambition was limited but they were compact throughout, with Oriol Romeu, on his first appearance since 5 February, anchoring the narrow midfield trio. Chelsea were happy to try their luck on the counter, and they almost profited in the first half when Salomon Kalou twice got in behind Arsenal.
On the second occasion, Koscielny needed to bail out Wojciech Szczesny, who had bolted from his line while on the first, Kalou felt that he had been tripped by Bacary Sagna. He had not been. But Chelsea had louder shouts for a penalty when Sagna tangled with the onrushing Ryan Bertrand. Chelsea also flickered when Cahill lifted a shot over the crossbar.
Van Persie fluffed his lines from point-blank range in the early running, from Walcott's free-kick, and was spared embarrassment by an erroneously raised offside flag, while he shot straight at Cech before half-time and, as Arsenal summoned a spirited finish, he had a few more sightings. The closest that the visitors came was when Koscielny denied Daniel Sturridge with a saving block.
Chelsea took heart from their resilience. Onward to Barcelona.


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Telegraph:

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0

By Duncan White, at the Emirates

It was a strange sort of compliment. Arsène Wenger felt that his team had been used as a 'dummy’ Barcelona by Roberto Di Matteo as Chelsea prepared an ultra-defensive approach for the Nou Camp on Tuesday.

“They had three defensive midfielders in the middle, so it was difficult to play through there, and it was very physical as well,” Wenger said.

“They adopted the system they played against Barcelona. They wanted to practise for Tuesday night.”

Di Matteo bridled at that, pointing out that his side had had just one effort on target fewer than Arsenal and that they had had the same number of corners.

“They had a couple of chances from set-plays but didn’t really create many clear-cut chances,” he said. “They were playing at home, we were away, and we looked dangerous on the break many times.”

While Chelsea will doubtless employ conservative tactics in Barcelona, very few of these players will be involved. Di Matteo made eight changes from the side that had beaten Barcelona on Wednesday, with only John Terry, Gary Cahill on Petr Cech retained. In the circumstances it was no surprise that they ceded the initiative to Arsenal.

Perhaps the game would have been more open if Arsenal had scored early on. After 13 minutes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain won a free-kick by running at the Chelsea defence. Theo Walcott stepped up to take it, send a cross in with pace and bend. Robin van Persie had moved away from Terry but could only hit the post.

Chelsea had some chances of their own in the first half. Fernando Torres had a shot blocked by Alex Song and Salmon Kalou managed to go around Woijech Szczesny only to be tackled by Laurent Koscielny, but the clearest opportunities were being created by the home side.

Arsenal hit the woodwork for a second time just before the break when Koscielny – left free by abysmal Chelsea marking – headed against the bar.

Moments later Van Persie should have scored after chesting down a fine pass from Song but shooting straight at Cech.

This was the Dutchman’s 50th game in a remarkable season so it was understandable that he looked a bit jaded. He did, though, have a very good shout for a penalty with 10 minutes left in the game. Song put in a cross from the right and Cahill looked like he had pushed Van Persie in the small of the back.

For all these chances created, Wenger was disappointed by the way his team had built their attacks. “Going forward we didn’t find our quick passing game,” he said. “The regret we have today is that we played with the handbrake offensively, and not as cleanly as we can offensively.”

Of more serious concern was the injury sustained by Walcott. He looked like he had pulled his hamstring slightly with an hour played but decided he was fine to carry on. Just a few minutes later he pulled up with what was clearly a more serious problem.

“It looks a serious hamstring injury,” Wenger said. “We assessed the hamstring but he wanted to stay on the pitch. I think he should have come off straight away because the second time it was a real hamstring. For him, it’ll be tough to come back until the end of the season.”

Still, while Arsenal are losing momentum they have surely done enough to secure their Champions League spot next season. Chelsea have more pressing concerns in the coming week – although Di Matteo is still not sure if he will have Didier Drogba back fit – but this result means they are still in the hunt for fourth, even if they are relying on others to slip up.


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Mail:

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0: Di Matteo gets his lines right to leave Wenger blue
By Patrick Collins


For a manager about to face the finest footballers in the world on their own turf, Roberto di Matteo seemed relatively sanguine.
He had rested players, avoided injuries and extracted a difficult point from the Emirates.
Unsurprisingly, Arsene Wenger's mood was quite different.
The Arsenal manager was not in his full Basil Fawlty mode, when the mad mist descends and the paranoia takes hold, but he did observe: 'It was a very unfair result. We had the chances and they had zero.'
But then, that's the thing about chances: you're supposed to take them. In truth, a curiously tepid London squabble, which was fading from the memory long before the Emirates was empty, should have given both men food for thought.
With a Champions League place almost achieved, Wenger has worked another small miracle this season.
After the autumn series of train crashes, he kept his nerve and his faith in passing football.
Resources were slender, and trophies escaped him again, but he secured a series of results which amounted to over-achievement, and those fans who had cursed him now gave him their guarded approval. But the underlying problems were palpable.
Should they lose Robin van Persie, they will be without the man who gives them both point and purpose.
Yesterday, in his 50th match of the season, he looked heavy-legged at times, but time and again he put himself in a position to chase down the chances.
Such players are rare and greatly prized, and in his absence, it is difficult to see where Wenger would turn. His problems in the creative department will require attention.
Mikel Arteta has contributed richly this season, and Arsenal lacked wit and imagination without him.
Aaron Ramsey played like he cannot wait for the season to end, while Theo Walcott, before his injury, was as wayward as ever, and Arsenal never achieved what their possession demanded.
But if these are challenging times for Wenger, then what of the challenges which face Di Matteo?
The acting manager won some acclaim for organising the first-leg Champions League semi-final win over Barcelona.
But the terms which accompanied the praise might give him food for thought: 'Focused … diligent … well-organised... pragmatic.'
All admirable qualities, of course, but at least one independent witness can see the dilemma.
Arrigo Sacchi, who managed Italy when Di Matteo was a player, said: 'Roberto did well to motivate a group who seemed to have lost everything. Yet the game cannot be like this for a club which has invested fortunes.'
The point was well made.
The suspicion is that the way Chelsea played against Barca, and against Arsenal, is essentially all they have to offer. Di Matteo thought yesterday's was 'a brilliant performance'.
Roman Abramovich, assuming he understands what he is watching, may believe brilliance involves something more than sweat and discipline.
Yesterday's event was, as the oldtime scribblers used to say, a game of two halves, each of them tedious.
Chelsea lined up in rigid ranks, as if expecting a siege. Yet Arsenal are not Barcelona, they do give the ball back pretty regularly.
Sadly, Chelsea's entrenched mentality, with Fernando Torres the distant, token striker, prevented them from profiting through possession.
The shape might have changed had Van Persie made better contact from a Walcott free-kick on 16 minutes, but the chance went begging and a torpor took hold.
Lazy Arsenal defending in 27 minutes made the Emirates catch its breath, but Salomon Kalou failed to play in Torres for what would have been an excessively flattering opener.
After 42 minutes, Van Persie struck a free-kick into the heart of a packed defence, and Laurent Koscielny sent his looping header against the bar from eight yards.
A minute later, the consistently impressive Alex Song picked out Van Persie alone on the left of the area, a situation which has served Arsenal so well this season.
The pass was precise, but the drive was smashed against Petr Cech. And so it went on; drearily, pointlessly.

There were a couple of penalty appeals, one at each end, both groundless.
There were a few trivial bookings, as if to remind everybody that this really was a derby. But the crowd was drifting away before the end.
Arsenal continued to play prettily and unproductively. As for Chelsea, well, if they intend to play this way against every team who might outpass them then Di Matteo's tenure is likely to prove less than a barrel of laughs.
Still, they were focused, diligent, all those stern virtues.
The Nou Camp might demand something more. We shall see.


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Mirror:

Arsenal 0-0 Chelsea:
By Steve Stammers


As a dress rehearsal, this was perfect for Chelsea. As a full-blooded London derby, it was largely a non-event.
If the result is repeated on Tuesday night, Chelsea will be destined for the ­Champions League Final.
If the footballing public of Barcelona needed any proof of what to expect at the Nou Camp, it was there for them to see at The Emirates. It could have been different if Robin van Persie had been in the kind of form that looks certain to make him the Player of the Year in the eyes of his fellow professionals.

Instead – just like Xavi, Messi and the rest – he found himself stifled by a Chelsea team who have switched ­philosophies.
Earlier this season, Chelsea were in the entertainment business under the leadership of Andre Villas-Boas.
Hence the 5-3 scoreline when the two sides met at Stamford Bridge in October.
Out went the Portuguese manager in March and in came Roberto Di Matteo.
He may be Swiss-born but he is true to his Italian roots.
Chelsea are now in the ­results business and you have to say it is working.
One defeat since he took over, a place assured in the FA Cup Final and one more sterling defensive performance will take them to ­Munich on May 19 to face either Real Madrid or Bayern. It may not be pretty, but it is damned effective.
Arsenal certainly did not have the tools to prise open the Chelsea back line.
And Theo Walcott will be out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
Van Persie was more hit than miss and ­Arsene Wenger was left ­complaining about a penalty appeal that was ­rejected after Van Persie appeared to be pushed over by Gary Cahill with less than 10 minutes left. “I might have touched him,” admitted ­Cahill.
The Arsenal boss was more definite in his assessment.
“Penalty,” he said. “It was a foul. But we’ve had zero penalties at home this ­season.”
Van Persie may well have put the game beyond any post-match debate, had he converted one of the chances that came his way. In the 13th minute, he hit a post from close range after Walcott’s free-kick baffled the Chelsea back-line.
A minute from half-time, the Dutchman saw his close-range shot saved by Petr Cech. Late in the game, he shot wide with the kind of volley he had converted with ease earlier in the season and, with just four minutes left, he dithered long enough to allow Cech to set himself and, rather than cross to ­unmarked ­sub Abou Diaby, he ­produced an ­angled shot that was saved.
Wenger thought Chelsea, with Fernando Torres leading the attack, were preparing for Barcelona.
He said: “They looked to lock up the game and we played at times with the handbrake on.
“They had three ­defensive midfield players, they were very ­physical and they ­adopted the same system they did against Barcelona.”
Di Matteo’s reflections were, predictably, in contrast. He has seen the Gary Cahill-John Terry axis once again prove to be a source of frustration to the ­opposition, as did watching England caretaker-coach ­Stuart Pearce.
Di Matteo said: “Every game they’re ­looking stronger, so England can be hopeful. But we are very happy with an away point.
“We have had a crazy schedule of three games in six days ... an FA Cup semi-final, ­Barcelona and Arsenal.
“I made changes, but I had to with a programme like that. I thought it was a brilliant performance.
“We have four games left and three at home so this was a point gained for us.”


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Sun:

Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0

By PAUL SMITH

As anti climaxes go, this was up there with the best of them.
For two clubs that have shared so many classic encounters in the past, this was nothing short of an embarrassment.

As a spectacle it was a non-event and if the supporters had demanded a refund for the hefty entrance fee you could understand the rationality behind their thinking.

Chelsea clearly had their minds on Barcelona on Tuesday and were intent on frustrating Arsenal with a very defensive formation.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was hell-bent on laying the blame at their doorstep to justify the sub-standard game, insisting Blues had made absolutely no effort to put out a side who wanted to play football and merely came to defend.

But having already lost Jack Wilshere and Mikel Arteta for the season you wondered if the Gunners chief should be more concerned about Theo Walcott’s health.

The England star will be out for at least three weeks after going off with a second-half hamstring injury.

Arsenal should take collective responsibility for failing to break down a resolute Chelsea defence marshalled by captain John Terry, who is still nursing two cracked ribs.

As ever just one man, Robin van Persie, carried Arsenal’s main threat on goal. But even the Dutchman had a poor game by his unusually high standards.

And this result could still have dire consequences for both clubs chasing Champions League football next season.

Roberto Di Matteo made eight changes to his starting line-up following Chelsea’s colossal Champions League performance against Barca on Wednesday night and with one eye on Tuesday night’s return leg at the Nou Camp.

Only one change was enforced with Didier Drogba absent with a knee injury, but expected to return against Barcelona.

That left only captain John Terry, Gary Cahill and Petr Cech from the starting line-up against the Catalan giants.

Arsenal were still smarting from Monday night’s shock home defeat against Wigan. Almost inevitably they opened the stronger and put Chelsea under intense pressure — although it took them 14 minutes to carve out a chance, when Van Persie clipped the outside of Peter Cech’s post from Walcott’s free-kick.

Chelsea weathered the early storm and went on the offensive but never really created anything that really threatened Wojciech Szczesny’s goal.

Yet, for all their possession, Arsenal were frequently disappointing when it came to the final third.

They did close the half in a flurry with a series of raids and the closest we came to the deadlock being broken was when Laurent Koscielny headed Van Persie’s free-kick against the bar after he found himself completely unmarked in the Chelsea penalty area.

And a minute before the break Van Persie ghosted in at the far post and was denied by Cech.

The game followed a familiar pattern after the break with Arsenal enjoying the bulk of the possession but struggling to break Chelsea down.

At least the visitors finally managed to get a shot in on goal but Daniel Sturridge’s effort never looked like finding a way past Szczesny.

It is fair to say there was far more action on the bench where Wenger clearly felt the need to make sweeping changes, bringing on three subsitutes in the space of 10 minutes.

First, Gervinho replaced the stricken Walcott with an hour gone. Then Abou Diaby went on for the ineffective Tomas Rosicky and, finally, Andre Santos replaced Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

One might observe the changes had little effect on the game.
The action on the field was so disappointing that the home fans only came to life when they caught sight of Ashley Cole getting ready to come on.

They unleashed a torrent of abuse at the former Gunners defender.
As ever though, and with Chelsea seemingly settling for a point, it was inevitably going to come down to one man — Van Persie — to try and rescue Arsenal. You could not fault the Dutchman for effort.

He appeared to have good cause to complain about being held back by Cahill in the penalty area with less than 10 minutes remaining. But Gunners’ claims fell on deaf ears with referee Mike Dean.

Then, with three minutes remaining, Van Persie turned Cahill inside out before eventually getting his shot away which was well saved by Cech.

Four minutes of added time saw the volume rise inside the stadium but unfortunately the disappointing game that preceded it continued until Dean finally put everyone out of their agony and called time on the match.


STAR MAN - JOHN TERRY

ARSENAL: Szczesny 6, Sagna 6, Koscielny 7, Vermaelen 7, Gibbs 6, Ramsey 5, Song 8, Walcott 5 (Gervinho 5), Rosicky 5 (Diaby 5), Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 (Andre Santos 5), Van Persie 7. Subs not used: Fabianski, Djourou, Chamakh, Coquelin. Booked: Rosicky, Van Persie, Diaby.

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Bosingwa 6, Cahill 8, Terry 8, Bertrand 7 (Cole 5), Essien 6, Romeu 6 (Mikel 6), Malouda 5, Sturridge 5, Torres 5, Kalou 6 (Mata 5). Subs not used: Turnbull, Lampard, Meireles, Ferreira. Booked: Malouda, Cahill, Bosingwa, Cole.


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Star:

ARSENAL 0 - CHELSEA 0: JOHN TERRY MASTERCLASS LEAVES ROBIN VAN PERSIE FIRING BLANKS

By Paul Hetherington

EVEN Robin van Persie couldn’t crack Chelsea’s mean machine defence led by John Terry.
The 34-goal striker suffered like the rest of us as Chelsea did to Arsenal what they had done to Barcelona three days earlier.
Van Persie had two late chances, screwing a right-foot shot wide then being crowded out as he tried to find a way through.
But there was one big difference as Roberto Di Matteo’s side kept another clean sheet.
While the one Terry and Co managed against Barcelona gives them a chance of qualifying for the Champions League Final, this one wasn’t enough in their bid to achieve a top-four finish.
Arsenal kept up their seven-point gap over Chelsea but Gunners boss Arsene Wenger insisted: “We have to win our remaining games and see what happens elsewhere.
“We had chances – and Chelsea had zero. I thought we should have had a penalty for a Cahill foul on Van Persie in the second half.
“But we have had zero penalties at home this season.
“Chelsea decided to close up the game and try to catch us on the break.
“It was like a rehearsal for their match in Barcelona on Tuesday.”
Di Matteo claimed: “It is a point gained towards fourth place and a point here is always very pleasing.
“I thought we gave a brilliant performance. It was not a question of resting players, it was a question of selecting a team to try to win the game after a crazy schedule.
“We are still in the running for fourth place and will fight until the last day.”
Despite the importance of the London derby, Di Matteo’s line-up made it clear that his priority was the return tie at the Nou Camp.
Only three players who started the first leg against Barca – Petr Cech, Gary Cahill and Terry – were in the starting line-up yesterday.
They might have had an early penalty but Salomon Kalou went to ground too late after initial contact in the box from Bacary Sagna.
Tomas Rosicky was denied by Cech, his Czech Republic team-mate in the Chelsea goal, before Van Persie hit the outside of the post from Theo Walcott’s free-kick.
But, after Cahill shot over from a good position, Arsenal produced a strong finish to the first half.
With Chelsea finally guilty of slack marking, Laurent Koscielny headed Van Persie’s free-kick against the bar.
Then Cech blocked well from Van Persie after he was released by Alex Song’s fine pass. Arsenal suffered a blow in the second half, though, when Walcott suffered a hamstring injury which is likely to end his season.
But Wenger said that the winger should be fit in around three weeks which would make him available for England at Euro 2012.
Otherwise, there wasn’t much to say about a second half which produced six bookings – but no goals.
It certainly wasn’t a repeat of the Gunners’ thrilling 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge in October when Van Persie scored a hat-trick.
Like Chelsea, it was a day when Arsenal’s best performers were all defenders


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Express:

ARSENAL O CHELSEA 0: BLUES STAY STURDY AGAINST ATTACKING GUNNERS

By Gary Jones for Express.co.uk

CHELSEA produced another solid defensive display to frustrate Arsenal as this afternoon's Barclays Premier League clash ended goalless at Emirates Stadium.

Roberto Di Matteo made sweeping changes to the side which had battled to a 1-0 home win over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday night.
However, the game plan remained very much the same, with the Gunners - who twice hit the woodwork in the first half - denied time and space as they failed to bounce back from the disappointment of Monday night's shock defeat here by Wigan.
Chelsea can head to Spain knowing more of the same will be good enough to progress against the odds, while Arsenal, who lost winger Theo Walcott to a potentially season-ending hamstring injury, still have some work to do themselves if they are to secure third place ahead of Tottenham and Newcastle.
Roberto Di Matteo made sweeping changes to the side which had battled to a 1-0 home win over Barcelona

Chelsea, with recalled Fernando Torres leading the line, felt they had an early penalty shout when Salomon Kalou got ahead of Bacary Sagna down the left.
 However, despite the players coming together before the Chelsea forward, making his 250th appearance, went down, referee Mike Dean waved play on.
 In the 13th minute, Michael Essien bundled over Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to concede a free-kick 20 yards out on the left of centre.
 Walcott whipped the ball over to the far post, where Robin van Persie arrived late to stab the ball against the outside of the woodwork.

Arsenal whose 5-3 win at Stamford Bridge in October was the beginning of the end for former Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas - continued to press Chelsea back, but lacked a telling pass in the final third.
 The visitors, meanwhile, looked dangerous on the swift counter attack, with Florent Malouda making headway down the left and his cross into the six-yard box was hacked clear by Laurent Koscielny.
 The tempo of the match dropped significantly, with Arsenal players showing a distinct lack of movement on and off the ball as the visitors easily turned over possession.
 Just like Barcelona had in midweek, Arsenal hit the woodwork again five minutes before the break.
 This time, Van Persie was the architecht, his floated free-kick into the Chelsea box picking out Koscielny, whose header looped over Petr Cech, but came back off the crossbar.
 Arsenal maintained the pressure, with Cech standing up well at the near post to deflect Van Persie's shot clear after another ball swept through the Chelsea box from the right by Alex Song.
 Di Matteo switched Torres out to the flank for the second half, with Daniel Sturridge down the middle.
 Arsenal remained too casual with their choice of final pass when in promising positions, while the visitors always looked dangerous on the break.
 Thomas Vermaelen made a fine saving tackle to deny Sturridge on the edge of the area.
 As the hour mark approached, Walcott pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.
 The England winger, though, was able to continue, only to then break down as he tried to get away down the right and was replaced by Gervinho.
 Arsenal upped the tempo again, but Van Persie cracked a 25-yard free-kick high into the Clock End.
 Gunners boss Arsene Wenger made another change on 63 minutes, as the hard-working Tomas Rosicky was replaced by Abou Diaby, back from a series of injury problems.
 Chelsea then replaced midfielder Oriol Romeu with John Obi Mikel.
 Arsenal's final substitution came with 21 minutes left as Brazil wing-back Andre Santos replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain.
 Juan Mata - who was on Wenger's radar before his move to Stamford Bridge from Valencia - came on for Kalou as the match showed little signs of sparking into life as the last 15 minutes approached before former Gunner Ashley Cole replaced Ryan Bertrand to the expected warm reception from the home fans.
 Van Persie went down in a heap under pressure from Gary Cahill, but the referee waved away the half-hearted penalty appeals.
 The Dutchman then blazed wide after John Terry slipped to let him into the right side of the Chelsea box.
 Arsenal had enough of the ball in the closing stages, but as for the majority of the match, failed to make the most of it.
 For Chelsea, this was overall another hard-working effort, with plenty more of the same needed in the Nou Camp on Tuesday night.


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