Arsenal fight back to claim draw against Chelsea in fierce Stamford Bridge showdown
Arsenal preserved their lead at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday after grinding out a 1–1 draw against a stubborn Chelsea side that played more than half the match with ten men.
The London derby, staged at a charged Stamford Bridge, delivered all the intensity expected of a clash between two title contenders.
Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was dismissed in the 38th minute for a reckless challenge on Mikel Merino, leaving the home side with a numerical disadvantage long before the interval.
Despite the setback, Chelsea stunned the league leaders shortly after halftime.
Trevoh Chalobah rose highest to meet Reece James’ corner in the 48th minute, directing a powerful header beyond the Arsenal goalkeeper to give Mauricio Pochettino’s men the advantage.
Arsenal responded with purpose and eventually found their equaliser just before the hour mark. Bukayo Saka floated a teasing cross into the six-yard area, where Merino recovered from the earlier foul nodded home from close range to level the contest.
Both teams pressed for a winner in a tense final half-hour, but Arsenal’s territorial dominance and Chelsea’s disciplined rearguard left neither side able to break the deadlock.
The draw keeps Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City, who defeated Newcastle the previous day.
Chelsea remain six points adrift of the Gunners but showed enough resilience to underline their credentials as potential long-term challengers in the title race.
Arsenal’s remarkable unbeaten run now stretches to 17 matches across all competitions, with 14 victories recorded during that span. Chelsea, meanwhile, extend their own seven-game unbeaten streak, a sign of growing consistency under Pochettino.
