Chelsea draw with Arsenal: The Blues' pride

Chelsea had to play for nearly an hour with 10 men but still managed to draw 1-1 with Arsenal, keeping the Premier League race alive.

1. Stamford Bridge on a cold night is not a place for mistakes to be forgiven, nor is it a place for dreamy teams.

Arsenal entered Chelsea 's sacred land after defeating Tottenham with a rain of goals and defeating Bayern Munich with modern football.

The London Derby ended in a draw. Photo: The Guardian

Arsenal are expected to make a statement of power in the decisive battle for the 2025/26 Premier League title . But football rarely indulges people.

Arsenal left London with a 1-1 draw, with a familiar feeling of disappointment. They had their chances, but were not brave enough to turn them into a killing blow.

Chelsea lost a man quite early, when Moises Caicedo received a straight red card after a dangerous tackle on Mikel Merino.

A seemingly pivotal moment that could have ruined all of Enzo Maresca's tactical plans. But in the end, it was the moment that revealed Arsenal's true colors, still not knowing how to win with an advantage.

Having had one more player since the 38th minute, Arsenal did not dominate the game as expected. On the contrary, Chelsea were the team that felt more dangerous.

Chelsea pushed the tempo, pressed hard and transitioned quickly, leaving Arsenal struggling. The home side had 11 shots to the visitors' 8.

2. Mikel Arteta chooses Eberechi Eze over Martin Odegaard in the coordinating role. An explosive player is preferred over the team's conductor.

The result was clear, Arsenal lacked rhythm, order and even coolness in final decision-making.

Chalobah scores for Chelsea with 10 men. Photo: The Guardian

Bukayo Saka was more lackluster than usual, Gabriel Martinelli was a beat behind, and without Odegaard, the Gunners looked like an orchestra lacking a rhythm.

In contrast, Chelsea played as if they were fully equipped. Fofana and Chalobah played safely, cleared the ball decisively, passed long early, and were willing to abandon the fancy to keep their lives.

Up front, Joao Pedro was relentless, stretching the Arsenal defence with Pedro Neto and Estevao. They didn’t need a striker, they needed speed and chaos.

In the first half, Chelsea even had 3 chances to take the lead: Enzo Fernandez's shot; Estevao's escape; Declan Rice had to stretch himself to block right on the goal line after Pedro Neto's shot.

Declan Rice, on a night when Zubimendi was underperforming, carried the Arsenal midfield with strength, discipline and leadership.

Arsenal defended with the spirit of a patchwork. They were without William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Hincapie and Mosquera did their job well, but were constantly under pressure from Chelsea's attacks.

Then the inevitable happened. Early in the second half, from a long ball from Robert Sanchez, the dominoes fell: Joao Pedro put pressure on, Chelsea won a corner, Reece James crossed the ball, and Chalobah cut in and headed in a dangerous header at the near post.

3. The score was 1-0 to Chelsea, a goal from a team that played as if they were full and full of confidence. It was a heavy blow to Arsenal 's ambitions .

For Arteta, the “dead ball scientist ”, the goal from the corner was like a scratch on his pride. He did not hesitate any longer. Odegaard was sent on.

Merino helped Arsenal equalize. Photo: The Guardian

Arsenal changed immediately. When Odegaard touched the ball, the game slowed down to the tempo the visitors needed. Passes became purposeful. Movements were led. The ball stopped wandering.

In the 59th minute, the decisive moment finally came. In a rare pass past Cucurella, Saka crossed the ball for Mikel Merino to find the perfect position to head home the equalizer 1-1.

A goal of perseverance, of patience, and of putting faith in the right place – albeit a little late.

Merino then had two more long-range shots that forced Robert Sanchez to show his talent. But Arsenal stopped there. There was no general attack. There was no late storm as people expected.

Chelsea stood firm, tired but proud. “The Blues” played with fewer players but not weak. They played with youth (average age 24, lowest in the Premier League), with the belief that the future was leaning towards them.

Arsenal got a point but it was also a warning. The Premier League title is not for teams that only win when everything is favorable.

The result at Stamford Bridge gives hope to Man City, who moved above Chelsea in the table and are now five points behind Arsenal.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/chelsea-hoa-arsenal-voi-10-nguoi-niem-kieu-hanh-the-blues-2468085.html