Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea at the weekend as two club legends weighed in on the action
Kasra Moradi Senior Sports Journalist
06:00, 02 Dec 2025
Arsenal players during the game against Chelsea
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Arsenal had to settle for a draw against Chelsea(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)
Arsenal were forced to share the spoils with Chelsea after a heated and scrappy encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea side dominated the first half but suffered a major blow as Moises Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute for a reckless tackle on Mikel Merino. Despite that setback, the Blues took the lead immediately after half-time through Trevoh Chalobah, only for Merino to level the scoreline with his own header in the 59th minute.
The result capped off a difficult week of fixtures for the Gunners, who saw their Premier League lead reduced to five points following Manchester City's win. Yet, Mikel Arteta can take pride in his side’s performances, having secured victories over Tottenham (4-1) and Bayern Munich (3-1), maintaining their momentum both domestically and in Europe.
Now, football.london brings you two of the latest Arsenal stories following the London derby as the north Londoners turn their attention to Brentford at home on Wednesday night.
Viktor Gyokeres ‘devastated’
Viktor Gyokeres and Jurrien Timber of Arsenal come close to scoring during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on November 30, 2025 in London, England.
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Jurrien Timber took the ball away from Viktor Gyokeres at the crucial moment(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Arsenal icon Ian Wright says he’d be devastated if he were Viktor Gyokeres following the Chelsea match. The £64million summer arrival made his comeback from injury as a substitute at Stamford Bridge, replacing Eberechi Eze in the 72nd minute as Arsenal sought a late winner.
After seeing very little of the ball, the Swedish striker finally had a golden opportunity to score his seventh goal for the club in the dying seconds after Piero Hincapie clipped in a cross from the left. Gyokeres darted into the six-yard box and rose to meet with the cross unchallenged, only for team-mate Jurrien Timber to arrive first and nod the opportunity wide.
Some observers, Wright included, expressed their view that Gyokeres should have made sure it was his ball and demanded Timber step aside. Wright was astonished the striker hadn't been more assertive, admitting he would have felt 'devastated' in that situation.
Wright explained: "I'm thinking Gyokeres… if this is me, I’m going be screaming so loud anyone in front of me is gonna drop out [of the way]. That is what I have always been told, you have to shout and let them know you’re coming because then Timber moves his head out of the way and Gyokeres comes in and gets a clean header.
“I’d be devastated with that, he’s got to let him know, Viktor Gyokeres has to let Jurrien Timber know, ‘I’m coming’, because that is a massive opportunity missed.”
Walcott’s striker prediction
Gyokeres received a reality check from another ex-Arsenal striker following the match. Theo Walcott claimed that, despite the likes of Gyokeres and Kai Havertz returning from injury, Arteta will stick with makeshift No.9 Mikel Merino over the former for high-stakes games in the future.
Merino, initially brought in as a midfielder, has excelled when used in a false-nine role since the start of the year. His goal-scoring prowess was on display once again against the Blues on Sunday.
Mikel Merino of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on November 30, 2025 in London, England.
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Mikel Merino scored his fourth goal of the season against Chelsea(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Offering his analysis on Sky Sports, Walcott said: "I think Mikel Merino is more trusted in the big games, he’s a player that you know what you’re going to get. He’s got so much more experience in these games, I think Gyokeres will be more of an impact player in the big games.
“He trusts Merino a lot more and it will probably do Gyokeres a lot of good to watch from the outside and learn a lot from what Merino does."
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