‘Erratic’ Hincapie struggles in Chelsea vs Arsenal stalemate | OneFootball

Arsenal staggered to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday.

They received a significant blow ahead of the game, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes both ruled out.

Manager Mikel Arteta was forced to turn to Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie in the centre of defence. The latter was particularly poor.

Hincapie lost all six of his aerial duels and committed two fouls, including an ill-timed elbow on Trevoh Chalobah that could have been escalated.

The Arsenal defender also allowed Joao Pedro in after a poor decision at the back. It was an ‘erratic’ performance.

Hincapie needs to sort himself out quickly, as the test does not get any easier in the coming weeks.

Arsenal welcome Brentford to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, and Hincapie will need to be wary of Igor Thiago.

The Brazilian has already bagged 11 goals in the Premier League this season and is a handful for defenders.

With Saliba and Gabriel sidelined, Arsenal need Hincapie to perform.

Arsenal desperately need to go into the New Year on top of the Premier League table, and keeping their immaculate defensive record will be key.

Chelsea showed that they are more than ready to challenge for the title, especially if they get Cole Palmer fit and firing.

Manchester City are always dangerous in the second half of the season.

Establishing a healthy lead will be key to staving them off when they potentially find another gear in 2026.