'learning Point' As Arsenal Miss Chance To Extend Lead

Facing Tottenham, Bayern Munich and Chelsea wrong a week - a tally immoderate broadside would find an utmost trial - and earning 2 wins and a battling tie cannot beryllium considered thing different than a affirmative return but Arsenal whitethorn beryllium near emotion they could person done moreover better.

After superb performances successful beating rivals Spurs earlier dispatching Bayern astatine nan Emirates, Sunday's conflict pinch Chelsea was ever going to beryllium difficult pinch betterment clip limited.

And preparations were further deed pinch cardinal centre-back William Saliba ruled retired pinch a sound picked up successful training - nan France world group for much tests.

Given that context, a 1-1 tie secured done Mikel Merino's header to time off nan Gunners 5 points clear astatine nan apical of nan array is acold from a mediocre result. But having seen his broadside play against 10 men for nan mostly of nan lucifer pursuing Moises Caicedo's reddish card, head Mikel Arteta besides admitted an opportunity to widen nan lead further had been missed.

"It's been a large week, starting pinch nan derby," he said. " Then to play Bayern Munich 3 days later [and] we mislaid players successful those games.

"Today, for example, we had to play a business [in defence] that we ne'er played earlier successful a really difficult match.

"The skipper is still not present (Martin Odegaard), nan 9 is still not present (Viktor Gyokeres), Kai (Havertz) is still not here, We mislaid Leo (Trossard) successful midweek arsenic well, But nan squad had to respond to that."

Odegaard and Gyokeres did travel disconnected nan chair for nan Gunners successful nan 2nd half astatine Chelsea.

"I deliberation wide it's been a really affirmative week because nan trouble was immense," added Arteta.

"But I person this flavour that coming we should person and we could person won nan crippled and we haven't. That's a learning constituent from it."

The lucifer against Chelsea was only nan 2nd clip since August 2021 that neither Gabriel Magalhaes aliases Saliba had been successful nan Arsenal line-up for a Premier League game.

The brace are not only cardinal for nan Gunners astatine nan backmost but besides play a large portion successful their attacking set-pieces.

With neither connected nan pitch, Arsenal's usually vulnerable agelong throws, free-kicks and corners lacked their accustomed potency.

The extremity from Trevoh Chalobah which put Chelsea successful nan lead besides came from a corner, which will beryllium disappointing to Arsenal head Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.

"It's been a headache," Arteta said. "Because evidently we person to person a batch of options and changes successful nan past fewer months for different reasons.

"That 1 (Saliba injury) is very unexpected, and it happened yesterday."

Arteta named Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie arsenic his centre-back pairing for nan first clip successful nan Premier League.

"The beauty of it is that you person players truthful consenting to play, truthful consenting to link pinch each other. We will build a narration moreover better," Arteta added.

"So coming was a awesome learning lucifer for each of america and arsenic good gives you nan assurance that whoever is location is going to perform."

The Arsenal head will request those who travel successful to support performing arsenic he confirmed that it would beryllium "weeks" earlier Gabriel's return to nan first team.