Gunners boss admits disappointment despite valiant effort.

Mikel Arteta Frustrated After Arsenal Held By 10-Man Chelsea

Mikel Arteta expressed his disappointment after Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by a 10-man Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, but praised his team for giving everything in the contest.

Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute for a reckless tackle on Mikel Merino. Despite the numerical advantage, Arsenal struggled to break through, allowing Chelsea to take the lead early in the second half via a Trevoh Chalobah header from a corner.

Arsenal eventually equalised through Mikel Merino, who nodded home an excellent Bukayo Saka cross. The Gunners pushed for a winner, but clear-cut chances were limited, with Chelsea’s resilience and defensive discipline proving decisive.

Speaking after the match, Arteta told Teamtalk:
“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 planned for it, 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, when you don’t win with 10 men for 45 minutes, you have to be disappointed. But you have to consider the week we had, a tough opponent.”

“They did everything they could 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 intact. We’ve had a massive week both mentally and physically, and overall, it’s a positive week.”