Chelsea battled to a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday, despite playing more than half the match with 10 men after Moises Caicedo was sent off in the first half of a tense London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Referee Anthony Taylor upgraded Caicedo’s booking to a straight red following a VAR review, ruling that the midfielder’s studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino was dangerous. The dismissal made Caicedo the fourth Chelsea player to see red this season.
But the setback did not break Chelsea’s resolve. Just moments into the second half, Trevoh Chalobah rose at the near post to glance a Reece James corner past David Raya, sending the home crowd into wild celebration.
Arsenal, however, hit back midway through the half. Bukayo Saka created the chance with some clever footwork on the right flank, eventually whipping in a precise cross that Mikel Merino who was deployed as an emergency striker due to injuries, headed calmly into the bottom corner.
With more than 30 minutes left and a numerical advantage, Arsenal looked poised to push for a winner. Yet the league leaders struggled to break down Chelsea’s disciplined defensive shape. Merino came closest to grabbing a second goal, forcing Robert Sanchez into a sharp save from the edge of the box.
Arsenal were also walking a disciplinary tightrope of their own, picking up six yellow cards, four of them in a fiery first half as they played without first-choice centre-backs William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães for only the second time in 162 league games.
The result trims Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to five points. Manchester City leapfrogged Chelsea into second place following their 3-2 victory over Leeds earlier on Saturday.
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