Summary:
- Chelsea have received four red cards in 13 league games, hurting their title chances.
- Arsenal stayed disciplined in their 1–1 draw, keeping 11 men on the pitch and maintaining a five-point lead.
- Other title contenders, including Man City and Liverpool, show inconsistency, leaving Arsenal as the team to beat.
Chelsea’s draw with Arsenal on Sunday highlighted one of the issues holding them back from seriously challenging for the Premier League title: discipline.
Chelsea Sees Red for a Fourth Time
Moisés Caicedo’s red card in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against the Gunners marked the fourth time in 13 Premier League games a Chelsea player has been sent off this season.
One of those, for Malo Gusto against Nottingham Forest, came so late it didn’t affect the result, but against Manchester United, Brighton, and now Arsenal, Chelsea spent significant periods a man down. They’ve collected just one point from nine in those games, and each red card has clearly influenced the outcome.
Against Arsenal, Chelsea will be glad to take a point, given how they responded after going down to ten men and managed to score. Even when conceding, they made it difficult for Arsenal, who struggled to break them down.
Still, Blues boss Enzo Maresca will likely see it as a missed opportunity at home to close the gap on the leaders, believes Alan Shearer in an interview for BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.
Not long ago, Arsenal were the team losing ground because of red cards, dropping points three times in their first eight matches last season after sending someone off. This year, however, their discipline is much improved.
They picked up six yellow cards on Sunday in a feisty derby but kept all 11 on the pitch, something Chelsea could learn from.
Inconsistency, Next on the List
Chelsea’s inconsistency is another hurdle, thinks Shearer, who said he didn’t expect them to be title contenders before the season, just in and around the top four, though they surprised by winning the Club World Cup.
Their draw against Arsenal keeps them in a strong position, but Shearer does not think they can still win the Premier League, as they would need more than just better discipline. Games like their 2-1 home loss to Sunderland, where no one saw any red card involved, further showed the way inconsistency can cost points, England’s former captain added.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa show impressive form under Unai Emery. However, from last season’s top five, only Arsenal have maintained consistency. Manchester City, despite being second, still look vulnerable at the back, giving away too many chances.
Liverpool who dropped Mo Salah grabbed a crucial win over West Ham, with Alexander Isak scoring his first Premier League goal for the club, but their title hopes look limited, as they’re likely focusing on securing Champions League spots.
Arsenal remain the team to beat, as, even with two key centre-backs missing against Chelsea, they managed a draw and have shown remarkable consistency in the league.