Chelsea’s draw against Arsenal showed they’re biggest threat to EPL leaders

Chelsea weren’t able to hold on for all three points. Mikel Merino’s equaliser just before the hour-mark of Sunday’s Premier League encounter ensured a sharing of the spoils between the Blues and Arsenal, but Enzo Maresca’s team emerged from the match with their reputation bolstered.

Arsenal are threatening to run away with this season’s Premier League title. The Gunners hold a commanding lead at the top of the table and could have crushed Chelsea on Sunday when the Stamford Bridge outfit were reduced to 10 men after Moises Caicedo’s dismissal in the first half.

In the most challenging of circumstances, though, Chelsea showed what they were made of. They took the lead through Trevoh Chalobah and maintained an attacking threat even after Caicedo’s red card. The Blues were able to control large periods of the game despite only having 10 players on the field.

It might not have been a statement result for Chelsea, but it was a statement performance. Most expected Arsenal to overwhelm their London rivals after Caicedo’s red card. Instead, the Premier League leaders struggled to break down the Blues’ defensive block and were disrupted in the centre of the pitch too.

Reece James was arguably the best player on the pitch. Deployed in central midfield, the England international did the work of two players, offering plenty on both sides of the ball. When Arsenal attempted to build rhythm in possession inside their own half, James hunted them down. He offered protection whenever Malo Gusto ventured forward from right back. He was everywhere.

Robert Sanchez was also impressive, catching the eye with a number of instinctive saves to prevent Arsenal from scoring more than just one. The Spanish goalkeeper hasn’t been short of critics during his time as Chelsea’s number one, but his performance against the Gunners was outstanding.

Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella, Pedro Neto, Estevao, Gusto and Chalobah all contributed to the 1-1 draw against the odds, highlighting the quality in the Chelsea squad. The Blues could have offered more in the final third, but they retained some form of threat in quick transition moments. Arsenal were never comfortable at any point of the match.

It wasn’t so long ago that Maresca appeared to be facing a reckoning as Chelsea manager. The Blues suffered a run of just one win from five games in September with many questioning whether Maresca was the right man to guide the Stamford Bridge outfit forward. Chelsea looked to have run out of steam after success at the Club World Cup when many had tipped them as potential title challengers.

Since then, though, Chelsea have rediscovered their groove. Surprisingly, this has happened with Cole Palmer out of the team. The attacking midfielder has spent the last two months on the sidelines through injury and played no part against Arsenal even after returning to Maresca’s bench.

With Palmer unavailable, Chelsea have been forced to find other ways to win games. Their wingers have stepped up. Estevao continues to demonstrate why so many see him as a superstar in the making. Alejandro Garnacho is acclimatising to his new surroundings. Jamies Gitten is also starting to contribute while Neto offers a direct threat in behind.

This season might come too early for Chelsea to win the Premier League title, but Sunday’s match showed they could be the closest threat to Arsenal at the top of the table. The Blues have one of the youngest, and most naturally gifted, squads in the English top flight. They are clearly on an upward trajectory and this season’s experiences could help them clinch silverware in the not-so-distant future.