Chelsea captain Reece James expressed a mix of pride and disappointment following his team's 1-1 draw against Arsenal in a captivating London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Despite playing with 10 men for over half the match after Moises Caicedo's red card in the 38th minute, James believes Chelsea could have secured a victory against the Premier League leaders.
The game was a tale of two halves for Chelsea. Caicedo's sending off, following a VAR review of a tackle on Mikel Merino, put the Blues at a significant disadvantage. However, just three minutes into the second half, Trevoh Chalobah headed in a corner from James, giving Chelsea an unexpected lead. Arsenal responded in the 59th minute when Merino met a Bukayo Saka cross, leveling the score.
"We knew the game was going to be tough, but to be honest it was a game we felt we probably could have won," James told Chelsea's website. "It was difficult to only walk away with a point considering how well we did".
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea continued to press, with Pedro Neto posing a threat on the right wing and substitute Liam Delap forcing a save from Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. James lauded his team's resilience and tactical adaptability after the red card. "We dominated the whole game in every area throughout, with 11 men and 10 men. I think that was a big statement on where we are and what we're fighting for," James said.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca echoed James' sentiments, stating that his team "showed that we are headed in the right direction". He added, "I think it was quite clear that 11v11 we were better than them". Maresca also expressed confusion over the decision to send off Caicedo, comparing it to a similar foul on James.
The match was a physical encounter, with several yellow cards in addition to Caicedo's red. James attributed the intensity to the competitive nature of the London derby between two top teams. "Arsenal have been at the top for the last few years," James said. "We knew that playing them wasn't going to be easy. Their midfield is tough, but we tried to play our game and hurt them off the ball".
Reflecting on the game, James highlighted the team's youth and their ability to compete with the league leaders. "The team is so young, but we went toe-to-toe with the team at the top of the Premier League at the moment," he said. "We didn't show fear and we tried to come out to win the game. Unfortunately we weren't able to do that, but there were a lot of positives to take from the game".
Several Chelsea players delivered strong performances, with James himself earning high praise for his midfield display. Trevoh Chalobah's goal and Robert Sanchez's saves were also crucial in securing the draw. However, Caicedo's red card was a significant setback for the team.
Looking ahead, James believes the draw against Arsenal is a platform to build on. "We've come a long way and we're building on result after result, and I think we showed that today," James stated. "It was electric here at Stamford Bridge today and we take a point and move forward".
