Despite being a man down, Chelsea created the best chances against an Arsenal side who looked weak offensively and defensively on Sunday afternoon in a game that ended 1-1 despite Moises Caicedo being sent off.
The Blues looked formidable with 10 men and are slowly forging a title charge under manager Enzo Maresca. This worries Walcott, who, speaking on Sky Sports, says that Arsenal should not underestimate their London rivals.
“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.
“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.”
The Gunners were without center backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães for only the second time since August 2021 against Chelsea, and could see the pair return over the next month.
If Arsenal are to keep their momentum going, manager Mikel Arteta must fortify his defence and continue to pick up 3 points as the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City are breathing down their neck.
Next 5 fixtures
Arsenal’s next 5 league fixtures: Brentford, Aston Villa, Wolves, Everton, Brighton.
Chelsea’s next 5 league fixtures: Leeds United, Bournemouth, Everton, Newcastle United, Aston Villa.