Ten-man Chelsea outplay Arsenal in intense draw

At half-time, shortly after Moises Caicedo had gone for a justified red card, Enzo Maresca had a single simple message his Chelsea squad.

- MIGUEL DELANEY

"We need to double the effort." for They did that, and very much matched Arsenal's extra man in an intense 1-1 draw, but also multiplied their effectiveness with 10 players on the pitch.

This is a side that have clearly learnt the lessons from similar setbacks earlier in the season, to properly develop as a team.

That is testament to Maresca, who also deserves credit for an excellent display of coaching. The Chelsea manager was quick to point out that Arsenal are probably the best team in Europe at the moment, but it didn't always feel like that in a match where the home side constantly over-performed in almost every area particularly anywhere Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah and Pedro Neto were covering.

A victory would have said much more, especially as regards Chelsea's own title credentials. The club have tried to play that down, and Maresca himself insisted that his response to a red card was the exact same as what happened in previous matches involving dismissals - like the chaotic 2-1 defeat at Manchester United. That was what felt right in that moment.

This was vindicated by the outcome, but also the actual performance.

The differences in current expectations could still be seen in the responses. Where Chelsea were delighted and celebrated their resolve, Arsenal were deflated.