Chelsea will definitely be pleased with their performance in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal over the weekend.
Despite going down to 10 men in the first half following Moises Caicedo’s red card, Chelsea were still able to earn a point.
They were even able to take the lead through Trevoh Chalobah’s clever header, his third goal of the season.
Who was your Man of the Match vs Arsenal?
Overall, Chelsea played well against Arsenal, with one area of their game particularly impressing Mikel Merino.
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino walking out
Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Mikel Merino impressed with Chelsea’s defending
It was Merino who scored Arsenal’s equaliser, but the midfielder has confessed that it was not easy facing Enzo Maresca’s side.
According to Merino, Chelsea are well structured and defend really well under their manager.
Speaking to the BBC after the game, the 29-year-old said: “They are well structured, they know how to defend, they have good quality players.
“Still I think that if we are a little better we could have done much more harm to the defence. I think the team responded good to the goal.”
The big moment of the first half…
Was this a red card?
While Chelsea will be happy with the point after getting a man sent off, they have to quickly turn their attention to Wednesday’s game against Leeds United.
Maresca has hinted that he could rest Reece James, despite the England international’s excellent performance in Sunday’s London derby.
Chelsea are still trying to manage James carefully after all of his injury problems.
Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino and Chelsea defender Reece James battling for the ball
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
A look at Chelsea’s defensive numbers post-Arsenal
Statistics would suggest that Chelsea are defending well this season, as Merino has claimed.
According to WhoScored, Chelsea have conceded an xG of just 15.67 in the Premier League. Arsenal are the only club who have conceded a lower xG (8.95).
Despite conceding an xG of 15.67, the Club World Cup winners have actually only let in 12 goals. Arsenal again, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are the only outfits who have a better record than them there.
When it comes to clean sheets, Chelsea are also top of the charts alongside Arsenal with seven.
All of the above shows that the Blues have one of the best defensive units in the Premier League this season. If Maresca’s side can maintain that solidity at the back, you cannot rule them out of title contention.