Reece James says 10-man Chelsea draw with Arsenal is 'a big statement'

Chelsea found themselves down a player early in their match against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but the Blues battled to a 1-1 draw with the Premier League leaders in a match Reece James called "a big statement."

James was immense in the midfield for the Blues as they overcame Moises Caicedo's 38th-minute ejection, with Chelsea actually having scored first despite the disadvantage.

Trevoh Chalobah gave Chelsea a brief lead with his 48th-minute header before Mikel Merino answered in kind for the visitors 11 minutes later, and the Gunners looked to maximize their numerical advantage as the game wore on.

While Arsenal came close, forcing Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez into some good saves, the league-leading side could not break through and had to settle for a draw with one of their prime challengers in the league title race.

Chelsea captain James described the result as "disappointing" for his undermanned team and praised his teammates for not giving up despite losing Caicedo early in the match.

"I think everyone can see where we are and what we are fighting for," James told Sky Sports immediately following the match. "I think today was a big statement. Even though we wanted to win, there are lots of positives to take.

"We worked hard, there is a lot of analysis and hard work from the staff that sets us up in the right way and makes us play in the right way that [manager Enzo Maresca] thinks will hurt them."

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Despite being a contest between two title hopefuls, the game itself wasn't a glittering example of free-flowing football from either side. Instead, there were spells of overt physicality as both teams looked to gain the upper hand, resulting in some fouls and cautions in addition to Caicedo's red card.

For James, the physical nature of the game came down to it being a hyper-competitive battle between two top teams. That clash was especially obvious in the midfield, where both teams looked to dominate.

"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."

Overall, James said that he was disappointed in not earning more from the match but satisfied with Chelsea's performance in front of a raucous crowd.

"I'm proud of the boys," he said. "It was electric here today. We take a point and move forward."

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