Pedro Neto gives honest Arsenal verdict as Chelsea star sets teammates clear challenge

Pedro Neto has shared his delight after scoring his first Premier League goal for Chelsea against Arsenal.

The former Wolves man netted in the second half against the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, running onto a Enzo Fernandez ball inside before smashing it past David Raya from distance. Gabriel Martinelli had earlier put Arsenal ahead but Neto's strike ensured the points were shared in west London.

"I'm really pleased to help the team," Neto told the official Chelsea website. "This is a group that works really hard every day, so to help the team makes me really happy. It’s really special [to score in a London derby]. I hope to continue this consistency.

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"I remember Enzo received the ball, he looked at me straight away and I knew what he wanted me to do. I took a touch and I shot right away, and I'm really happy to see it hit the net."

The goal against Arsenal was Neto's third of the campaign in all competitions, with the Portuguese international also contributing three assists. The 24-year-old explained after the match that while he is pleased with the point, the Blues' aim was to win.

"In the end we wanted to win but we had hard work in front us," he continued. "We know they are a good team but we came to the game to win it. Of course, we are not as happy as we wanted to be, but we don’t want to lose as well so it's a good point against a tough team."

The 1-1 draw leaves Chelsea in third place, four points behind Manchester City and nine points behind league leaders Liverpool. Neto believes the team is improving every week and is already looking forward to returning to action after the November international break.

"In terms of reading the game, I thought we did really well," Neto said. "We had moments where we could do better, but I think we did a really good job and we want to keep improving. At this level, consistency is the important point. The team and I work everyday to improve and I’m trying to get to my best and continue in this way."