Enzo Maresca was delighted with the way his Chelsea team performed against Arsenal - both before the red card and after it.
Chelsea were by far the better side during the opening 35 minutes, as our pressing in the Arsenal half meant our opponents struggled to gain a foothold and we regularly posed an attacking threat.
The dynamics of the contest changed on 38 minutes when Moises Caicedo saw red for a tackle on Mikel Merino but we still restricted Arsenal to just eight shots, their lowest total in a single match in the Premier League this season.
The Gunners enjoyed more of the possession in the second half, understandably as they played 52 minutes with the extra man, but we still searched for the winning goal and went close on several occasions in the second half.
Maresca said: ‘I think sometimes you have to be happy even with one point. For sure, the target was to win the game.
'Again, 11 vs 11, I think we were better than them. We managed the game, controlled the game, didn’t concede chances. The red card changed the dynamic but the way the players dealt with that was fantastic.’
When asked what he was most please of, Maresca added: 'For sure the effort of the players. Arsenal are top of the Premier League top of the Champions League, the best defence in the Premier League and best defence in the Champions League.
'When it was 11 vs 11, we were better than them. Ten men changed the dynamic but the effort from the players was outstanding.’
There were a number of impressive performances from the Blues. Two of the standouts were Robert Sanchez and Reece James.
Sanchez produced a few smart stops and commanded his area when the opportunity arose, while James produced another all-action display in the heart of midfield.
Asked about the pair, Maresca said: ‘Robert was very good. When you are with ten players against Arsenal, for sure if you want to take a point or win the game you need some special performances, like Robert’s and Reece’s.
'We are very happy with Robert’s performance. Reece’s performances have been top, now we have a game on Wednesday but you know we have to manage him, control his situation. But he was very good tonight.’