Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta discussed his side’s 1-1 draw against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has admitted that he was disappointed they failed to capitalise on their numerical superiority in the game against Chelsea.
The Gunners missed the chance to extend their league lead after they were held to a draw by 10-man Chelsea. The Blues went up front through Trevor Chalobah despite playing without Moises Caicedo, who was sent off in the 38th minute. However, they managed to rescue a point through a Mikel Merino header.
What Arteta said
During Arteta’s post-game interview, he noted the tense atmosphere and how it resulted in tackles flying in early on. He also expressed disappointment that they failed to win, admitting that his side could have done better against 10 men.
“Right from the beginning, you could sense how much was at stake,” he said, per the BBC. “Every duel and action was full gas, very short sequences of play.
“With the 10 men we expected a different game, we plan it, we 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 I think that when you don’t win with 10 men for 45 minutes, you have to be disappointed. But you have to know the week we had, a tough opponent.
“They did everything they can 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 in tact. We’ve had a massive week both mentally and physically and I think overall it’s a positive week.”