Why Chelsea and Arsenal could both be happy with a point from Super Sunday clash at Stamford Bridge – despite Moises Caicedo’s red card | Football News

Arsenal remain clear at the top. Chelsea captain Reece James said his side delivered a “statement”, but Mikel Arteta felt the Gunners “should have won”. Here’s why both sides can be broadly happy with Sunday’s 1-1 draw…

A positive point for Arsenal – even if two dropped in circumstances

There will be frustration from Arsenal that they couldn’t capitalise on Moises Caicedo’s red card after 38 minutes, but the Gunners were far from their best at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal were without both first-choice centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes for only the second time in 162 league matches and risked going down to 10 men themselves, receiving six bookings in what was a scrappy contest. Leandro Trossard was also absent after picking up an injury in midweek and attacking players like Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Viktor Gyokeres are all still working their way back to full match sharpness.

It showed as the Gunners struggled for attacking rhythm throughout the game in west London. Chelsea have also been in fine form themselves and even with 10 men they caused Arsenal plenty of problems. To keep the gap to the Blues to six points with a point Arsenal would have taken before the game cannot be a bad thing for Arsenal.

It’s a point gained on the performance but two points dropped in the circumstances of the game. Once the dust settles, however, they will surely look back on this as a positive point.

It also comes at the end of a tough week of fixtures for Mikel Arteta’s side, where they produced big victories over north London rivals Spurs and Bayern Munich in the Champions League. It was an emotionally draining week for the Gunners and it showed at Stamford Bridge.

“It’s been a big week,” Mikel Arteta said. “The derby, how emotional and the necessity to win, then Bayern Munich.

“We lost players in those games. The team had to react to that. It’s been a positive week because the difficulty was immense.”

They didn’t manage to find a winner to create a perfect week, but to stay unbeaten in three tough games has to be a positive for the Gunners, who extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17 games.

Finally, in terms of the Premier League, Stamford Bridge is another difficult away trip ticked off for the Gunners. They have now been to Old Trafford, Anfield, St James’ Park and Stamford Bridge, and to still hold a five-point advantage at the top of the Premier League, Arteta would have taken that.
Oliver Yew

Chelsea shed soft underbelly to show true mettle

This week, and this result especially, feels the culmination of something Enzo Maresca has been trying to build for some time. Chelsea have their bite back. Too much, in one case.

The past five days have been a tale of two red cards. Whereas Barcelona capitulated following Ronald Araujo’s first-half dismissal at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Chelsea were galvinised by Moises Caicedo’s sending off against Arsenal, becoming just the second team from 14 to deny them victory.

It would have been easy to use the red card as an excuse. Striking first less than three minutes after half-time is quite the opposite.

Throughout the early Todd Boehly era, questions have been raised about Chelsea’s mentality and a weak dressing room, not aided by the logistics of a ballooning squad.

Even under the gradual rebuilding of Mauricio Pochettino, their soft underbelly remained their biggest Achilles’ heel. It has dogged Maresca at times too.

But 18 months into his reign, this performance, as much as any other, will be used as a benchmark. A mentality blueprint.

Chelsea rolled up their sleeves, did the dirty stuff, the dark arts, got stuck in and showed Arsenal they were here for a battle even at 10 vs 11. For the last hour especially, they displayed an edge even beyond their Club World Cup win and return to the Champions League last season.

Those drew on Maresca’s tactical nous; this added the fight.
Ron Walker