Chelsea battled to a hard-earned 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal, surviving more than a half of football with 10 men after Moisés Caicedo was sent off in a fiery London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Caicedo initially received a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino, but VAR upgraded it to a red, making him the fourth Chelsea player to be dismissed this season.
Despite the setback, Enzo Maresca’s side stunned Arsenal just after the break. Trevoh Chalobah met Reece James’ corner at the near post, glancing a header past David Raya to give the hosts the lead.
Arsenal eventually found their equaliser when Bukayo Saka weaved his way down the right side of the box and delivered a precise cross for Merino, who nodded the ball into the far corner.
With more than 30 minutes remaining and a man advantage, the Gunners appeared poised to push for a winner. However, they struggled to unlock Chelsea’s organised defence.
Merino came closest to grabbing all three points, forcing a sharp save from Robert Sánchez from the edge of the area, but Arsenal managed only eight shots to Chelsea’s eleven in a surprisingly even contest.
The league leaders were without both first-choice centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, for only the second time in 162 Premier League matches, and they endured a tense match of their own, collecting six yellow cards, four of which came in the heated first half.
Chelsea continued to threaten on the counter in the closing stages, with substitute Liam Delap drawing a save from Raya, but the home supporters still celebrated a spirited point. Yet there remained a sense of frustration over what might have been without Caicedo’s dismissal.
The result trims Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League from six points to five, while Manchester City leapfrog Chelsea into second after their win over Leeds on Saturday.
