Mikel Arteta vents ‘disappointment’ as Arsenal drop two points vs Chelsea | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta admitted he was ‘disappointed’ after his Arsenal side were held to a 1-1 draw by a 10-man Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, but said his team ‘gave everything’ in the clash.

Moises Caicedo saw red for a dangerous tackle on Mikel Merino in the 38th minute, but that didn’t stop Chelsea taking the lead early in the second half, thanks to a header from a corner from Trevoh Chalobah.

Arsenal struggled to dominate the game despite having a numerical advantage, though they did find an equaliser as Mikel Merino headed home from an excellent Bukayo Saka cross.

The Gunners pushed for a winner, but clear-cut chances after that were few and far between. A lot of credit must go to Chelsea for their attitude and defensive resilience.

Speaking after the game, Arteta said: “Right from the beginning, you could sense how much was at stake. Every duel and action was full gas, very short sequences of play. With the 10 men, we expected a different game, we plan it, we went through it in the second half. They get a free kick and they score. Then it becomes a very tricky game to play. Overall, I think that when you don’t win with 10 men for 45 minutes, you have to be disappointed. But you have to know the week we had, a tough opponent.”

“They did everything they can again. They’ve never played together so we need to build that synergy. There were a lot of things happening before the game. The spirit of the team is in tact. We’ve had a massive week both mentally and physically and I think overall it’s a positive week.”

On whether Arsenal played the occasion rather than the game, Arteta added: “You have to play the occasion in certain duels and the way they propose the game as well. There are certain moments where you can sense at times. We gave everything.

“[On failing to win] It’s very tricky. They have a lot of experienced players with big personalities. They know what they are doing and who to target. We have to play all those within the game. In the end we scored, we had two massive chances as well to score and we didn’t.”

“I don’t know the right words because I’m disappointed obviously with not getting the three points against 10 men. But with everything that happened in the week, I think overall I just have to be very proud of what the team has done.”

Arsenal must respond after two points dropped

The result, of course, has ramifications for the title race. Arsenal stay in top spot, but their lead is now just five points after second-placed Manchester City beat Leeds United yesterday.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will have taken confidence from the game and are now third, only six points behind the Gunners and well in the hunt for the trophy.

Arsenal need to respond, and will be expected to win their next Premier League match against Brentford at home. That is followed by games against Aston Villa (away), Club Brugge (away, Champions League), Wolves (home), and Everton (away).

Latest Arsenal news: Mendoza update / Rice eyed by Real Madrid

Meanwhile, journalist Fabrizio Romano has backed up TEAMtalk’s reporting that Arsenal are interested in Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza.

The Gunners have scouted the 20-year-old extensively and he has a bargain €20m release clause in his contract.

Rice’s ‘tactical intelligence, his ability to stay calm in tense situations and his magnificent ball-handling skills made it clear that he is more than capable of playing for Real Madrid’, according to the report