Arsenal may not have thought about winning the Premier League this season, but the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge was a great missed opportunity. With the tense championship race, this is a match where Mikel Arteta and his team need to show the bravery of a champion, especially after Moises Caicedo was sent off.
The draw with Chelsea came after a stressful week with matches against Tottenham and Bayern Munich. However, a big team, who are most hungry for titles in Europe, the "Gunners" must know how to push their opponents to the bottom of the abyss when they have the chance. 52 minutes of overtime at Stamford Bridge was the time for Arsenal to do that.
Chelsea deserve to be praised. They played fiercely, organized well and successfully kept 1 point at Stamford Bridge. However, it cannot hide the fact that Arsenal failed to show the championship spirit of the team that won the championship that day.
When Caicedo was sent off, we wanted to control the game and decide it. The intention was very clear but Arsenal conceded a goal from a set piece and a change in the situation. We had good chances, scored well but lacked sharpness in important details" - Mikel Arteta shared.
Despite playing with one less player, Chelsea created more dangerous opportunities. They have shot more and when they take the lead, they always shake Arsenal's defense. On the contrary, the "Gunners" were stuck, lacking creativity and had almost no breakthroughs other than the equalizer.
This can be considered one of Arsenal's worst performances of the season. Arteta's players were tired, slow to handle and lacked accuracy. Part of the responsibility lies with Arteta, who has used high-intensity pillars over the past week.
Eberechi Eze played a total of 171 minutes in the two top matches against Spurs and Bayern. Arsenal should let Eze stay more, the effect is clearly seen at Stamford Bridge when he was almost obscure. Similarly, William Saliba - who played all two previous matches - was injured in the warm-up and could not play. With Gabriel Magalhaes also absent, Arteta is clearly missing the safety option in defence. This is something he has to consider more carefully in the remainder of the season.
Despite making his first Premier League assist in a year, Bukayo Saka has yet to perform at his best. The full-power Saka version can fully exploit the fact that Cucurella received a yellow card and had to defend cautiously. On the other hand, Reece James - who was rotated by Chelsea to maintain his fitness - dominated the midfield for 90 minutes.
What disappointed Arteta the most was probably his team's failure to take advantage of the opportunity. A brave team must make the most of the decisive moments of the season. Arsenal lacked that cruelty. No one says they will miss out, but clearly the fresher legs or more suitable rotation can help The Gunners make a difference.
It is also undeniable that Arsenal are the only team lacking in personnel. Chelsea are lacking both Cole Palmer and young talent Estevao Willian, who also had a day to forget.
Meanwhile, Manchester City benefited the most from the late victory thanks to Phil Foden's goal. Arteta knows better than anyone that giving The Citizens a chance to catch up in the race is very dangerous. With class and courage, Pep Guardiola's team always punishes all mistakes of the opponent.
As for Chelsea, this result further strengthens the belief that they can compete at a higher level than what they have previously claimed. By holding the lead despite playing with one less player, The Blues proved that they were capable of putting pressure on the leading group.
For Arsenal, this is a match where they can bury the hopes of their opponents. However, Mikel Arteta and his team could not do it. In the race for the Premier League title, where even the smallest mistakes could turn the whole season around, missing more chances like that would be a nightmare thing.
Arsenal are still strong and leading the group, but to become champions, they need more than that, which is cruelty, perseverance and the ability to finish the match on time.
