Willian reacts as Reece James’ performance helps 10-man Chelsea secure 1-1 draw against Arsenal

Willian lauded Reece James' performance in Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Arsenal on Sunday, November 30. The Englishman led his side brilliantly at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League clash.

Reece James started in midfield against Arsenal, along with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez. Caicedo, however, was sent off in the 38th minute for a poor tackle on Mikel Merino. James then delivered a Player of the Match award-winning performance.

James completed 25/31 passes, made two key passes, created one big chance, and attempted one shot (via Sofascore). He won 11/13 duels, and made two recoveries, one interception, and one clearance.

After the game, James uploaded a post on Instagram, writing in the caption:

"lots of positives to take from today’s game. we keep building. thanks for the support, this afternoon was electric 💙"

Willian commented:

"Player [fire emoji]"

Willian's comment on Reece James' post (Image Source: Instagram/@willianborges88)

Willian and James shared the pitch 27 times for Chelsea before the former left in 2020. The Englishman, meanwhile, came through the Blues' academy and has made 207 appearances for them, contributing 15 goals and 28 assists.

---

Reece James hails his Chelsea side's performance against Arsenal

The Blues fought well against Arsenal despite going down to 10 men in the 38th minute. They opened the scoring in the 48th minute through Trevoh Chalobah, before Merino equalized in the 59th minute. Chelsea had 11 attempts, with five being on target, as compared to the Gunners' 5/8 attempts on target.

After the game, Reece James hailed his side's performance, telling the club's website:

"I’m proud. The team is so young, but we went toe-to-toe with the team at the top of the Premier League at the moment. We didn't show fear and we tried to come out to win the game. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, but there were a lot of positives to take from the game.

"We knew the game was going to be tough, but to be honest it was a game we felt we probably could have won. It was difficult to only walk away with a point considering how well we did," he added.

Despite the draw, Arsenal remained at the top of the Premier League standings. They now sit five points above second-placed Manchester City and six above third-placed Chelsea.

The Gunners will next face Brentford at home on December 3, while the Blues will face Leeds United away.