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

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hopes the resilience his side showed in twice coming from behind while a man down to hold Chelsea 2-2 at Stamford Bridge proves a "stepping stone" to a brighter future for the Gunners.

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