Arsenal player ratings vs Chelsea as 8/10 rescues draw but four 5/10s flop

Arsenal were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Chelsea, with the Gunners unable to make the most of their man advantage on a frustrating afternoon at Stamford Bridge

Arsenal were held by ten-man Chelsea, keeping their six-point lead over the Blues intact. Given the numerical advantage, Mikel Arteta will likely be frustrated with just a point.

Both Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber had to pull off some crucial early tackles to handle some worrying openings in the box as Bukayo Saka came close and drew a save from Robert Sanchez. Moises Caicedo was shown red for a nasty tackle on Mikel Merino.

Yet, the hosts broke the deadlock after a corner was nodded on by Trevor Chalobah. The advantage lasted just 13 minutes as Mikel Merino’s header from a Bukayo Saka cross found the net.

Here, the Daily Star Sport rates the Gunners’ performances:

David Raya – Pulled off a cracking save from Joao Pedro’s header. His save led to the corner that resulted in the opening goal, with Chalobah’s flicked header giving the keeper little chance. Raya managed to hold onto a shot from Liam Delap that could have easily ended up as a corner. 7.

Jurrien Timber – Stellar last-ditch block on Enzo Fernandez in the box to thwart another major opportunity. He was the only one in the back four not to get booked but struggled to find connections in the attacking half as much as he’d have liked. 7.

Cristhian Mosquera – Picked up an early booking for a cynical foul. Filling William Saliba’s boots is no mean feat, especially without Gabriel, and the Spaniard proved to be the more solid of the two on the day. 7.

Piero Hincapie – A shaky first half, nearly gifting Joao Pedro a chance with a slip in the box. Redeemed himself with a superb sliding tackle on Neto to stop a potential goal. 6.

Riccardo Calafiori – Pulled off a brilliant last-ditch tackle on Estevao within the first ten minutes, stopping a clear run on goal. His yellow card, however, made Mikel Arteta play it safe and he was subbed at half-time. 6.

Martin Zubimendi – Earned an early booking for a cynical foul. Caught out a few times, his caution was enough for Arteta to pull him off. 5.

Declan Rice – Denied Pedro Neto a surefire goal with a top-notch tackle in the box. The usual dynamo in Arsenal’s midfield, though seemed slightly less commanding after two high-octane matches prior to this one. Had to slot into the number six role after Zubimendi’s exit but remained a solid presence. 7.

Eberechi Eze – Had a quiet first half. Teaming up with Martin Odegaard in the second half saw him get more touches, but none really amounted to anything before he was subbed off. 5.

Bukayo Saka – The best opportunity of the early game fell to the right winger, whose low drive was parried by Robert Sanchez’s foot. Delivered a spot-on cross in the second half to Merino, marking his first league assist in a year. Had a couple of golden opportunities to fire at goal, but skied the ball over the bar. 7.

Mikel Merino – A misplaced pass in his own half nearly gifted Chelsea a golden opportunity within the first ten minutes. He dropped deep into midfield throughout the match but was on the receiving end of Moises Caicedo’s red card offence. However, he redeemed himself by nodding home a crucial goal past Sanchez from Saka’s cross and later forced a save from Sanchez with a late strike. 8.

Gabriel Martinelli – Tested Chelsea’s keeper Robert Sanchez with a low shot to his right, which was just about kept out. Subbed off in the second half after failing to make the desired impact. 6.

Substitutes:

Myles Lewis-Skelly – Booked almost immediately after coming on and then played a risky pass across his own goal. 5.

Martin Odegaard – Brought on to replace Martin Zubimendi and restructure the midfield. His introduction certainly shifted the game’s momentum following Chelsea’s goal. 7.

Noni Madueke – Took over from Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank. Switched sides with Saka after being stifled down the left, but still found himself thwarted by his former teammates’ defensive efforts. 5.

Viktor Gyokeres – Came on for Eberechi Eze after a spell on the sidelines due to injury. Got on the end of a ball and slid in, but Sanchez was there to gather after Merino’s attempt. 5.