WE HAVE finally found a crack in this Arsenal side.
Take away the Premier League’s best central defensive pair and, amazingly, they are a weaker side.
Arsenal coped well after losing Gabriel Magalhaes in the international break.
But without Willam Saliba there, too, there was a noticeable drop-off.
Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie are both capable deputies.
However, they have not formed any sort of partnership.
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And the duo often looked shaky, a sense which spread throughout the visiting side.
Both were booked before half-time for rather pointless incidents.
Mosquera floored Joao Pedro deep in the Chelsea half when there was no need.
While Hincapie was disciplined for an elbow on Trevoh Chalobah.
Saliba and Gabriel are a very hard act to follow.
And this performance only underlined just how impressive the two have been for so long.
RICE RICE BABY
THIS was Declan Rice’s chance to show he is the Premier League’s premium midfielder.
But even though his opposite number was sent off, we never really saw it.
Rice got stuck in as he returned to the club where he was released as a 14-year-old.
But on the afternoon we were going to see him square up with Moises Caicedo, the Arsenal man did not deliver his best stuff.
Arsenal ratings: Bukayo Saka has Cucurella in his back pocket but stand-in Mosquera on a tightrope after early booking
ARSENAL missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League after a frustrating 1-1 draw against ten-man Chelsea.
The Gunners produced an under-par display at Stamford Bridge but were given the advantage when Moises Caicedo saw red for a horror challenge on Mikel Merino.
But the Blues stunned their rivals by taking the lead shortly after the break thanks to Trevoh Chalobah‘s header.
And Arsenal eventually got level when Merino powered home Bukayo Saka‘s cross.
But Mikel Arteta‘s men were forced to settle for a five-point lead over Manchester City after failing to break down a stubborn Chelsea side.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the visitors on a difficult night at a freezing Stamford Bridge…
Caicedo was edging the midfield battle until he was given his marching orders in the 38th minute.
Though he managed some nice turns and balls forward, Rice struggled to have his usual marauding influence on a game.
In the two-and-fro of a midfield battle that was a pure scrap, the England star held his own but did not cause much trouble with the ball at his feet.
With Martin Zubimendi removed to allow Martin Odegaard to come on, Rice needed to drop back and marshal things from deep — which further restricted his ability to trouble the Blues’ defence.
EZE DOES IT
EBERECHI EZE exploded as an Arsenal player with his treble against arch-rivals Tottenham a week ago.
But this never felt like a game in which the cute and creative No 10 was going to shine.
There was a real touch of class from the summer signing when he cushioned a high ball and fed Bukayo Saka early in the first half.
Yet otherwise there was no chance for Eze to show his real quality.
This was an encounter very short on actual football.
There were big tackles, petty shoves and a number of crosses cleared.
It was very much not Eze’s scene.
Chelsea ratings vs Arsenal: Reece James shines in new roaming role as Caicedo lets team-mates down
TEN-MAN Chelsea escaped a feisty London derby against Arsenal with a point at Stamford Bridge.
A cagey first half was fiercely battled out between the two teams.
There were no goals, but five players were cautioned before half-time, and Chelsea were already down to ten men after a reckless challenge by Moises Caicedo on Arsenal’s Mikel Merino.
That ‘no goals’ dilemma was put to bed early in the second half by an unlikely scorer.
A deep Chelsea free-kick was turned behind brilliantly by David Raya after Joao Pedro directed a header goalwards, only for the resulting corner to be nodded in by Trevoh Chalobah.
That lead didn’t last long as Arsenal equalised through Mikel Merino, who headed home to grant Bukayo Saka his first assist in a year after doing what Lamine Yamal couldn’t – getting the better of Marc Cucurella.
Find out how SunSport Chelsea Reporter Lloyd Canfield rated the Blues…
Read the full article here
