After their 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal missed a crucial chance, calling the contest “a very tricky game to play” despite the Blues being down to ten men before halftime.
Arsenal had come to west London knowing that a victory would increase their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points, but they left disappointed that their numerical advantage had not paid off.
Trevoh Chalobah’s goal early in the second half gave Chelsea the lead, but Moises Caicedo’s dismissal should have tipped the scales in Arsenal’s favor.
Before Mikel Merino rose to meet Bukayo Saka’s cross and steered a solid header past the goalie to tie the score for Arsenal, the home crowd reportedly anticipated an upset.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day, Arteta came across as calm yet dissatisfied.
“We anticipated a different game with the 10 men, we planned it, and we went through it in the second half,” he remarked. “They score after receiving a free kick. The game then becomes extremely challenging to play.
“In general, I believe that you have to be disappointed when you don’t win with ten men for forty-five minutes. However, you must be aware of the challenging opponent we faced that week.
Once more, they exerted every effort. We need to develop that chemistry because they have never performed together. Before the game, a lot of things were going on.
Although Arteta emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the match made it more difficult to assess the outcome, the draw means Arsenal’s margin at the top is still smaller than they had hoped.
Chelsea will now play the next three games without Caicedo. Referee Anthony Taylor was urged by VAR to reexamine the situation after the Ecuadorian midfielder was first given a yellow card for a forceful challenge on Mikel Merino. Taylor escalated the caution to a straight red after taking a quick glance at the pitchside monitor.
Caicedo will not play against Leeds on Wednesday, Bournemouth on Saturday, or Everton the following weekend due to the decision.
