A contentious London derby saw Chelsea and Arsenal draw 1-1 after Moises Caicedo’s early red card shifted the game’s momentum, with Trevoh Chalobah scoring for Chelsea before Mikel Merino equalized for Arsenal.
Arsenal failed to capitalize on a man advantage for most of their match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, being held to a 1-1 draw that nevertheless moved them five points clear at the Premier League summit, according to a report from Express Sport.
The hosts were reduced to 10 men in the closing stages of the first half when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a late challenge on Mikel Merino, but Arsenal were forced to rely on Merino’s second-half equalizer after Trevoh Chalobah had headed the Blues in front.
The publication rates and slates the Arsenal players as follows:
David Raya (7): The goalkeeper made a fine save just before Chelsea’s opening goal but was caught “in no man’s land” as Chalobah put the Blues ahead. Otherwise, he was generally solid when called upon.
Jurrien Timber (7): The defender was an “outstanding athlete and calm with the ball,” making a crucial tackle to stop Enzo Fernandez in the first half. He became a bigger presence in the final third after the team went 1-0 down.
Cristhian Mosquera (5): Mosquera endured a shaky afternoon, particularly as Arsenal faced a “barrage of attacks” from the home side. He looked exposed and also “lacked composure with the ball at his feet.”
Piero Hincapie (5): Hincapie had a “torrid time” attempting to deal with the threat of Chelsea’s Estevao in the first half. He also slipped to allow Joao Pedro an opportunity and was criticized for not being “aggressive enough.”
Riccardo Calafiori (6): The left-back was cautioned for a shirt-tug on Reece James during a period when Arsenal were under immense pressure. He was replaced by substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly at the break.
Eberechi Eze (6): Struggling to impact the game against a physical opponent, Eze was “well marshalled by the Chelsea defence,” a week after a brilliant performance in the North London Derby. He was substituted with 18 minutes remaining.
Martin Zubimendi (5): The midfielder had a tough afternoon, receiving a booking inside the opening five minutes. He also gave the ball away multiple times, including a costly loss to James after the break, and was substituted after 57 minutes.
Declan Rice (7): Rice had a quiet match “by his standards,” struggling to assert his authority on the game. He dropped “incredibly deep” after the interval, which limited his output further forward.
Bukayo Saka (8): The winger was Arsenal’s most lively player throughout the contest. He was the victim of an early foul but eventually got his reward for his attacking endeavour by delivering the fine cross for Merino’s crucial equalizer.
Mikel Merino (7): Starting up front, Merino was initially forced to drop deep and play effectively as a midfielder. After being the victim of Caicedo’s rash challenge, he illustrated his prowess by heading in the equalizer.
Gabriel Martinelli (5): Martinelli had little impact on the game and “barely had a sniff of the ball.” He did test the Chelsea goalkeeper just before the break but was ultimately “hauled off with less than an hour played.”