Arteta hopes 10-man Arsenal’s grit points to brighter future

Arteta’s men remain 10th in the Premier League, 10 points behind Chelsea in fourth, but while a point may be too little for their hopes of a return to the Champions League, the manner in which it was achieved gave their new manager cause for optimism.

“Time will tell if this is a stepping stone, but at least I saw a reaction,” said Arteta.

“I demand from the players that they never give up. We have to keep playing with the spirit we showed in every game. I’m proud of the way they reacted.”

David Luiz endured a nightmare evening on his return to Stamford Bridge as the Brazilian was sent off after 26 minutes for hauling down Tammy Abraham. Jorginho converted the resulting penalty.

However, Chelsea’s struggles at home continued as they offered another lifeline to those challenging for a top-four finish.

Frank Lampard’s men are now six points clear in fourth, but Manchester United can cut that gap to three with victory over Burnley on Wednesday.

“We’re in fourth position, but I know and we know there should be another 10 points on the board,” said a frustrated Lampard.

“We shouldn’t dwell too much on results that have gone, but a lot of them look the same.

“The initiative is on us to be ruthless, to take the chances when they came along.”