Trending 
Mikel Arteta praised his Arsenal side for their resolve after the Premier League leaders battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw against title rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The Gunners salvaged a point through Mikel Merino’s header in the 59th minute, after falling behind to Trevoh Chalobah’s 48th-minute strike. Chelsea had earlier been reduced to ten men when Moises Caicedo was shown a red card in the 38th minute, but the hosts refused to let the numerical disadvantage hinder their push for the lead.
Arsenal’s performance was particularly impressive given the defensive absences of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, along with key players Martin Odegaard, Viktor Gyokeres, and Leandro Trossard being unavailable or limited to the bench. Arteta highlighted the challenges of navigating a physically and emotionally taxing week, which included a 4-1 victory over north London rivals Tottenham and a Champions League win over Bayern Munich.
“It’s been a big week,” Arteta said. “We lost players in those games and today we had to play a partnership we haven’t played before in a really difficult match. The team reacted well. I feel we deserved to win, but at least we’ve earned a point.”
The draw keeps Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City and six ahead of Chelsea, as they chase a first English top-flight title since 2004. Saliba’s fitness will be assessed ahead of Wednesday’s game at Brentford, with his absence having forced Arteta into makeshift defensive partnerships.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca accepted Caicedo’s dismissal but questioned inconsistencies in refereeing, citing a previous incident involving Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur. Maresca also expressed frustration at a yellow card awarded to Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie for an elbow on Chalobah. Reece James, outstanding in midfield, will miss Wednesday’s fixture as Chelsea manage his injury.
