Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal let an important opportunity slip after their 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, describing the match as “a very tricky game to play” despite the Blues being reduced to ten men before half-time.

Arsenal had arrived in west London knowing a win would stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points, yet they left frustrated after failing to make their numerical advantage count.

Moises Caicedo’s dismissal should have tilted the balance in Arsenal’s favour, but it was Chelsea who struck first when Trevoh Chalobah guided in the opener early in the second half.

Naija News reports that the home crowd sensed an upset until Mikel Merino rose to meet Bukayo Saka’s cross, steering a firm header beyond the goalkeeper to bring Arsenal level.

Arteta, speaking to BBC Match of the Day, cut a measured but disappointed figure.

“With the 10 men, we expected a different game, we planned it, we went through it in the second half,” he said. “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 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 draw means Arsenal’s cushion at the summit remains narrower than they had hoped, though Arteta stressed that the circumstances surrounding the match made the result harder to judge.

Meanwhile, Chelsea now faces the next three fixtures without Caicedo. The Ecuadorian midfielder was initially shown a yellow card for a heavy challenge on Mikel Merino, but VAR advised referee Anthony Taylor to check the incident again. After a brief look at the pitchside monitor, Taylor upgraded the caution to a straight red.

The decision rules Caicedo out of Wednesday’s meeting with Leeds, Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth and the following weekend’s clash with Everton.

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