Mikel Arteta expressed disappointment after Arsenal failed to capitalise on Chelsea playing over 50 minutes with 10 men in Sunday's Premier League London derby. The Blues' Moises Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute for a late tackle on Mikel Merino, but Arsenal could not take advantage and had to come from behind to draw 1-1.
Trevoh Chalobah headed Chelsea in front early in the second half, but Merino equalised 10 minutes later. Arteta described the week as 'massive' both mentally and physically, following the emotional north London derby and a midweek match against Bayern Munich, which saw key players lost to injury.
Arteta noted that Arsenal had to field an unfamiliar defensive partnership and were without captain Martin Odegaard, striker Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard. Despite this, he said the team's spirit remained intact and the week was overall positive given the difficulties faced.
However, Arteta admitted frustration at not winning with a man advantage for 45 minutes, stating it was a learning point. He praised the team's effort and resilience but emphasised the need to improve in such situations.
