Ben Fleming
Published December 1, 2025 7:30am
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Arsenal were forced to settle for a point against ten-man Chelsea (Picture: Getty)
After the physically and emotionally testing games against Tottenham and Bayern Munich, perhaps Arsenal would have been happy to settle for a point against title-rivals Chelsea.
And yet, as Mikel Arteta reflected on Arsenal’s 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, it is clear that he thought his side left something out there in Sunday’s feisty London derby.
‘I think overall it’s been a really positive week because the difficulty was immense,’ the Spaniard began in his post-match press conference.
‘But I have this flavour that today we should have and we could have won the game and we haven’t. That’s a learning point from it.’
That, in part, will be down to the nearly 60 minutes that the Gunners played against ten men after Moises Caicedo was shown a straight red for a reckless challenge on Mikel Merino.
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In a game largely devoid of clear-cut chances, it was Chelsea who had the better of the proceedings in the early stages, with Estevao blazing over with an opportunity from 12 yards out inside the first 20 minutes.
But even after Caicedo’s dismissal, Maresca’s side did not go into their shell as they had done in previous matches when going down to ten men. Sure, they ceded possession to the visitors, but they also showed bravery, breaking with a regular threat and even taking the lead through Trevoh Chalobah before Mikel Merino’s equaliser 11 minutes later.
Arsenal drew with Chelsea despite spending most of the game with a numerical advantage (Picture: Getty)
After Caicedo’s red in the 38th minute, Chelsea had as many shots (eight) as Arsenal in the remaining two-thirds of the game, and ended the match as only the second team to record more than ten shots on Arsenal’s goal in the league this season.
The Gunners, meanwhile, struggled to impose their usual control on the game, perhaps not helped by the metronomic Martin Zubimendi making way on a yellow card before the hour mark.
‘Two teams very willing to win, and not much football,’ Arteta conceded post-match. He was right.
@metrosportukA London derby to forget for both teams 😬 Chelsea draw 1-1 with Arsenal with 10 men after Moisés Caicedo’s red card at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League following Trevoh Chalobah and Mikel Merino’s headers for either team. Man City gain two points on the Gunners at the top of the table, and Arsenal fans may be getting flashbacks. #chelsea #arsenal #premierleague #caicedo #redcard
♬ original sound – Metro Sport
But that lack of football created a bit of unwanted history for Arteta’s side as they failed to win a league game in which their opponents received a first half red card for the first time since August 2010.
‘We managed to get some good spells without having too much momentum and we score a great goal, and after that, we had two or three big chances but lacked certain detail, especially in the manner we attacked, and especially in certain positions,’ he added.
A hallmark of Arteta’s tenure in north London has been his side’s remarkable record against the ‘big six’. And barring an otherworldly free-kick from Dominic Szobozslai at Anfield, Arsenal would still be unbeaten against those sides this campaign.
Enzo Maresca’s side stuck to their task against Arsenal despite Moises Caicedo’s sending off (Picture: Getty)
But a draw against ten-man Chelsea on Sunday, combined with the below-par performances against both Manchester clubs and the defeat to Liverpool earlier in the season, points to an Arsenal side that are yet to produce their best in the league when the stakes are at their highest.
Perhaps next weekend’s trip to the Midlands to take on the in-form and fourth-place Aston Villa offers the perfect opportunity to silence those doubts.
The Champions League mauling of Bayern Munich certainly shows a team that is capable, but Arteta’s side must soon find that statement performance in the league to ensure the chasing pack doesn’t gain any more encouragement behind them.
Title race could prove a survival of the fittest
Both Arteta and Maresca may want a day or two to recharge and reflect, but no such rest is afforded at this hectic time of the season.
Arsenal and Chelsea now face another run of three games within seven days, pushing their squads to the limit in what has already been a gruelling start to the season.
Arsenal were able to welcome back Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus to their bench, but an injury to William Saliba in training meant the Gunners named a starting lineup without the Frenchman or the also-injured Gabriel Magalhaes for just the second time since August 2021.
Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquerad deputised admirably on Sunday, perhaps a vindication of Arsenal’s front-footed squad building over the summer after seeing last season’s title charge derailled by injuries.
Reece James was superb on Sunday but might not be able to start in midweek (Picture: Getty)
‘Our depth has been tested since pre-season, because we lost six or seven players constantly out of the squad, Arteta said. ‘But I have no doubts with the squad we have and the mentality every player has.’
A three-match ban for Caicedo will test Chelsea’s squad depth, too. Romeo Lavia and Dario Essugo remain injured, while James’s chequered injury past means he might not be risked in midweek against Leeds after playing the full 90 on Sunday.
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Sunday’s match was evidence yet again that this is going to prove an intense and physically demanding league season. Long balls, long throws and winning duels are back in vogue, and teams will have to push themselves to the limit to keep up.
One thing that cannot be doubted is Chelsea’s credentials to be in that race. Even after his side’s draw with the league leaders, Maresca was keen to kick any title talk into the long grass. But another impressive performance against a big side showed a young team that has already grown and learned from its past mistakes.
‘Arsenal tonight, Barcelona the other day, Liverpool, PSG, these kind of games, for sure, they give to the players, you know, the confidence to grow and to believe,’ Maresca admitted post-match.
This year might not serve up the body-beautiful football that title races between Manchester City and Liverpool produced in years gone by, but the survival-of-the-fittest slugfest that has replaced it could be just as intriguing.
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