Mikel Arteta says Chelsea are ‘targeting’ Arsenal players, Mikel Merino reacts to Moises Caicedo’s ‘terrible’ challenge in London derby

Blues midfielder Caicedo was sent off in the 38th minute following a VAR review for a clumsy challenge on Merino, leaving the home side with 10 men.

However, three minutes into the second half, Trevor Chalobah scored a goal off an assist from Reece James, giving the home team the lead.

After the match, Arteta admitted that the local derby between the title contenders was sure to be an intense affair, and believed Chelsea had given the yellow card to Arsenal’s players.

He told Sky Sports: “It’s a really tough game. Both teams played with great intensity and aggression, you could feel it in every tackle.”

“The game was decided and we had to calm down after the red card, but we conceded the foul and the goal. “It’s two top teams competing in the Premier League, so that’s normal.”

“We had four players with yellow cards and you could see they were targeting those players.

“We conceded a goal in the first action of the second half, but we had to overcome it. We scored a great goal. We had a couple of big chances.

“They’re a really good team. They scored seven goals from corners and we scored eight.”

Arteta was also calm about Caicedo’s red card and was in no hurry to condemn the Chelsea midfielder despite his automatic sending off from the match.

“It was really quick. You saw the reaction and everyone was saying he was off. Anthony (referee Taylor) made the call and I think it was the right call.”

“It’s been a tough week mentally and physically. I lost one day to recover. They play at Stamford Bridge right after they beat Barcelona. I expect to win the game and I always want to win.”

“We have another game on Wednesday and we have to prepare well to beat a formidable opponent like Brentford, and then we have Aston Villa ahead of us.”

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Video credit: TNT Sports

Merino talks about ‘frightening challenge’ from Caicedo

Looking back on the match, Merino suggested they could have done better with a numerical advantage.

“On the one hand, it’s a shame that we didn’t win. When you wear this uniform, you want to win every game. This is a really tough stadium to come and get points. We could have done better, but the team showed a good mentality.”

“Maybe we could have managed the game better and understood what they were trying to do. With 10 men, we could have been more patient with the ball. We’re trying to find the wingers and cross with the players in the box. Obviously they’re a good team.”

The attacking player also gave his opinion on Caicedo’s challenge, suggesting that he was lucky to have avoided the accident with no immediate health concerns.

“My ankle felt like it was hurting towards the end, but luckily my ankle and body are very mobile,” he replied. “It was a scary challenge and I knew it would result in a red card.”

When asked if he had spoken to Caicedo afterwards, he clarified: “No, nothing.”