Moises Caicedo’s red card in Sunday’s 1-1 match against the Gunners marked the fourth sending-off for a Chelsea player in 13 Premier League fixtures this season.
One of Malo Gusto’s red cards, issued against Forest, occurred so late it had no impact on the result, but in matches against Manchester United, Brighton, and now Arsenal, the team has played with ten men for a substantial portion of each game.
From those matches, they secured just one point out of a possible nine, with the red card influencing each outcome. In the clash with Arsenal, Chelsea will consider a draw a positive result given their reaction after being reduced to 10 players and managing to score. Even after conceding, they made things challenging for the Gunners, who struggled to break through their defense.
However, given how his team performed with only 10 players, I believe Blues manager Enzo Maresca will view it as a missed chance to narrow the gap on the league leaders at home. Not long ago, Arsenal found themselves in a similar position, regretting red cards that proved costly in the title race — they lost points in three of their first eight games last season, each time following a sending-off.
This season, their discipline on the field has notably improved. Although they received six yellow cards during a heated London derby on Sunday, they managed to keep all 11 players on the pitch. Mikel Arteta's team has achieved this in all 20 matches across all competitions so far, setting an example that Chelsea should aim to emulate.
Chelsea is also struggling with inconsistency
Before the season began, I didn’t see Chelsea as serious contenders for the title — I expected them to be competing around the top four. I also didn’t anticipate their Club World Cup victory in the summer, which caught me by surprise. It may work in their favor that most people still don’t view them as title challengers, despite last Sunday’s match being a clash between first and second place.
Following their draw, they remain in a strong position, but I don’t believe they will win the Premier League from here. Could they win it? Yes, certainly — but they would need to improve in more areas than just discipline. Their biggest issue has been inconsistency, as shown in matches like their 2-1 home loss to Sunderland, where a red card wasn’t the cause. What has been a solid start to the season could have been even better without such lapses.
Manchester City are allowing too many scoring opportunities
Among the teams trailing Arsenal, Aston Villa appear to be in the strongest form. Unai Emery’s squad has been performing exceptionally well and enjoying an impressive run of results. However, from last season’s top five, only Arsenal have maintained consistent performances, while the other four sides have shown inconsistency—especially Liverpool and Newcastle, with Chelsea also in that mix. Manchester City, currently in second place, face similar issues, as their defence remains vulnerable and they are conceding too many opportunities.
Earlier, Liverpool secured a crucial victory on Sunday, yet I still doubt the reigning champions can re-enter the title race. Their focus now is likely on securing a Champions League spot, which their squad’s quality should make achievable. I watched their match against West Ham for Match of the Day, and given their recent form, the priority was simply to get a positive result rather than deliver an outstanding performance. In the end, they achieved both. The three points were significant, especially as Arne Slot was under pressure and made the bold decision to leave Mohamed Salah out of the lineup—a move that ultimately paid off.
Alexander Isak’s first Premier League goal for Liverpool was a significant moment. Both he and the fans had been waiting longer than expected for it to happen. His strike against West Ham, a superb half-volley, proved crucial as it shifted the momentum of the match. Isak’s talent is unquestionable, so his composed finish came as no surprise. The focus now is on him regaining full fitness after missing much of pre-season and on the team adapting to his style of play, a process still underway for both player and club.
Arsenal deserve to maintain a five-point advantage
What remains unchanged this weekend is that Arsenal are still the side to beat. Some might say they should have capitalized more against Chelsea’s 10 men and may feel let down by creating few chances after the red card, ending with only a draw. However, in the broader context, they have emerged from a challenging week in both the Champions League and Premier League with notable victories over Tottenham and Bayern Munich, and now a draw away against the team that was their closest rival in the standings.
Facing Chelsea, Arsenal were without their two first-choice central defenders, Gabriel and William Saliba. Their absence appeared to play a role in conceding a goal from a Chelsea set-piece, while also diminishing Arsenal’s usual set-piece threat. This makes earning a point from the match a positive outcome, with Arteta unlikely to see it as a missed opportunity.
Although Arsenal have drawn their last two away fixtures, they remain the Premier League’s most consistent team, holding a five-point lead. The standings reflect their strong performances, and they have clearly been the standout side so far, making them difficult for rivals to overtake.
