A tricky start to 2016 for AS Roma ended disappointingly as goal-line technology gave Chievo a late equaliser on Wednesday afternoon.

On-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny started the game for Roma, as did former Gunner Gervinho, but the 3-3 draw was packed with incident.

First half goals from Sadiq Umar and Alessandro Florenzi gave Roma a comfortable 2-0 lead, but the hosts pulled one back shortly before half-time. Gervinho had assisted the opener, while Szczesny found himself blamed for Chievo’s first goal. A shot, struck low and hard, was met by the Pole but he couldn’t quite get enough behind it and the ball was finally put in by Alberto Paloschi at the back post.

The goalkeeper is sure to take some criticism, but he got a good hand to the original effort, struck from close range.

Chievo scored again from a corner shortly into the second half, only for Iago Falque to restore Roma’s lead with 20 minutes remaining. In truth, Szczesny had a quiet afternoon but it wasn’t over yet and goal-line technology awarded the hosts with a late equaliser when Szczesny appears to have kept the ball out.

A free-kick struck the foot of the post before the Arsenal man got a hand to it. The goal is the first ever to be given by the technology in Serie A.

It’s a worrying start to 2016 for Roma, who struggled towards the end of 2015. This week Szczesny, who Arsenal are said to want back at the end of the season, said that Roma had it in them to overturn a four point gap to Internazionale to claim the Italian title.

However, with Juventus winning an eighth consecutive game on Wednesday afternoon, and Fiorentina extending their lead over AS Roma, it looks unlikely the capital club will even make the Champions League spots unless they improve soon.