Ten-man Chelsea frustrate Arsenal in fiery derby draw

WEB DESK: Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points after a hard-fought 1-1 draw against 10-man Chelsea, in a match shaped by Moises Caicedo’s first-half dismissal. The midfielder was sent off in the 38th minute following a VAR review that upgraded his yellow card to red for a high, late challenge on Mikel Merino, Chelsea’s sixth red card of the season across all competitions.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea struck first shortly after the interval. Trevoh Chalobah met Reece James’ cross with a deft, looping header that sailed over David Raya and into the corner. Arsenal, missing first-choice centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba, struggled to impose themselves early on but found a response 11 minutes later. Bukayo Saka outmanoeuvred Marc Cucurella on the right and delivered an in-swinging cross for Merino, who headed home at the far post to level the score.

Chelsea, encouraged by manager Enzo Maresca to stay on the front foot, created the clearer chances despite being a man down. Joao Pedro was denied by Raya, while Pedro Neto, Liam Delap and Wesley Fofana all threatened late on. Arsenal, by contrast, produced few major openings, with Merino’s long-range effort and a speculative strike from Saka their only significant attempts after the equaliser.

The match featured seven yellow cards in addition to Caicedo’s red during a tense London derby. Chelsea showed resilience without their influential midfielder, with captain Reece James excelling in an improvised midfield role. However, indiscipline remains a concern, with four red cards in 13 league games, the highest in the division.

Arsenal, unbeaten in 17 matches across competitions, continue to grind out results despite injuries, navigating a challenging run that included Spurs, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. The draw keeps them firmly in control at the top as the busy winter schedule approaches.