Former England striker Theo Walcott has cautioned Arsenal not to underestimate Chelsea as a genuine title contender in the ongoing Premier League season.
Speaking after the Gunners’ 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, Walcott highlighted the Blues’ threat despite being reduced to 10 men following Moises Caicedo’s red card. Chelsea initially took the lead early in the second half through Trevor Chalobah, but Mikel Merino’s header leveled the score.
The draw keeps Arsenal at the top of the table, six points clear of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea. Nevertheless, Walcott insisted that Arsenal must acknowledge the potential challenge posed by the west London club.
“I think so. Arsenal’s problem last year was that they drew too many games. Chelsea’s this year is too many red cards. It’s going to play catch-up. Right now, Arsenal are very comfortable, but I do think there are more gears to come from them,” Walcott said.
He added: “There have been more instances this season where they have been more patient in these big games, but they just need to pick up the intensity from start to finish. A lot of teams can’t cope with them; they need to ask questions of each other and maybe go away from what Mikel Arteta is saying to them at times. That would be a big change for me.”
