Chelsea captain Reece James hailed his side’s dominant display in a 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal despite playing over half the game with 10 men.
CHELSEA captain Reece James said his side made a statement by “dominating” Premier League leaders Arsenal in a 1-1 draw despite playing over half the game with 10 men.
The Blues were the better side at Stamford Bridge on Sunday before Moises Caicedo’s 36th-minute red card for a studs-up tackle on Mikel Merino.
Defeat would have left Chelsea nine points behind Arsenal and effectively out of the title race.
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Enzo Maresca’s men then went ahead through Trevor Chalobah’s header early in the second half despite their numerical disadvantage.
Merino equalised for Arsenal just before the hour mark but Chelsea held firm in difficult circumstances.
“We dominated the game in every area throughout, with 11 men and 10 men,” said James.
“I think that was a big statement on where we are and what we’re fighting for.”
Chelsea’s resilience contrasted with two earlier losses this season after first-half red cards against Manchester United and Brighton.
“I’m proud,” James added.
“The team is so young but we went toe to toe with the team at the top of the Premier League.”
For Arsenal, now five points clear of Manchester City, it was a tough end to a week featuring wins over Tottenham and Bayern Munich.
“It’s been a massive week for us,” said Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, a second-half substitute returning from injury.
“This was another big test for us. We wanted to come here and finish off the week with a win but it was a tough battle.” – AFP
