Arsenal stood firm in a Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg stalemate with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, producing a 12/1 winner for our football followers.
A thrilling 2-2 Premier League draw at the Emirates Stadium a week ago was followed by a cagey encounter here. The Blues had the better opportunities to take a first-leg lead, but Cesc Fabregas and Andreas Christensen spurned headed opportunities either side of half-time in a 0-0 draw.
Fabregas wanted a penalty after a Danny Welbeck challenge in the 88th minute, but play continued when referee Martin Atkinson consulted Video Assistant Referee Neil Swarbrick and it was determined Welbeck got the ball.
The second leg takes place on January 24 at the Emirates Stadium, when a place in the Wembley final, against Manchester City or Bristol City, will be at stake.
Should Chelsea advance, it would alter the scheduled February 25 Premier League duel with Jose Mourinho's Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Antonio Conte and Arsene Wenger have a mutual dislike of Mourinho, whose United side won the League Cup last season. The competition represents the Gunners' best chance of silverware, given their FA Cup defence is already over.
Wenger experienced defeat in the third round for the first time in his 21 years in charge at Nottingham Forest last Sunday.
Nick Hext's winning tip
The statemate was welcome news to Sporting Life followers after our Nick Hext selected 'no goalscorer' at 12/1 as his best bet on the night, also covering with a small recommendation on under 1.5 goals at odds of 77/20.
His preview - posted on Monday evening - included the following:
"Antonio Conte will join Wenger in bringing back his first-team regulars and I expect a better defensive showing from both sides after the ease with which chances were created in the final stages of last week's 2-2 draw.
All of the goals in that Emirates Stadium contest were netted in the final 30 minutes and both managers will have reiterated to their players the need to keep things tight throughout this two-legged tie.
There's 12/1 available for no goalscorer and that is the way to go as it covers you in the event of own goals."
Nick also successfully tipped 'Manchester City to beat Bristol City and both teams to score' at odds of 9/5 on Tuesday evening, and you can check out our fully transparent tipping record right here.
Opta facts
- Chelsea have now failed to score in just three home games in all competitions under Antonio Conte – all of them have been this season and two have been against Arsenal.
- Indeed, Arsenal are only the second team ever to keep two clean sheets away at Chelsea in the same season, after Manchester United in 1998-99.
- The Blues have had consecutive goalless draws in all competitions for the first time since November 2012.
- All four meetings between these sides in all competitions this season have ended level – the last time two Premier League teams drew four games against each other in the same season was Blackburn vs Sunderland in 2002-03.
- Chelsea have progressed on each of the three occasions they’ve drawn the first leg of a League Cup semi-final – vs Man Utd in 2005, Wycombe in 2007 and Liverpool in 2015.
- Meanwhile, Arsenal have progressed just once from the three previous occasions they’ve drawn the first leg – going through against Tottenham in 2007, but failing against Aston Villa in 1996 and Tottenham in 2008.