Chelsea managed to secure a point against Arsenal in a dramatic 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge, despite Moises Caicedo's first-half red card. Arsenal aimed to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League
but had to settle for a draw, even with a numerical advantage for most of the match.
In the opening half-hour, Bukayo Saka tested Chelsea's goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, while Enzo Fernandez posed threats at the other end. The turning point came when Caicedo was sent off for a late challenge on Mikel Merino. Initially shown a yellow card, referee Anthony Taylor upgraded it to red after a VAR review.
Despite being down to ten men, Chelsea started the second half strongly. Trevoh Chalobah scored with a header from Reece James' corner in the 48th minute. Arsenal equalised 11 minutes later when Saka outmaneuvered Marc Cucurella and crossed for Merino, who headed in from close range. Notably, seven of Merino's ten Premier League goals have come from headers.
70% - Mikel Merino has scored his 10th Premier League goal, seven of which have been headed (70%). Among all non-defenders with 10+ goals in the competition's history, only James Scowcroft (71% - 10/14) has scored a higher ratio with his head. Bonce. pic.twitter.com/kaYg3664uE OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 30, 2025
Sanchez made a crucial save in the 88th minute to deny Merino another goal and ensure Chelsea held on for the draw. This result demonstrated Chelsea's ability to compete against title contenders like Arsenal.
This match marked only the second time since the start of the 2022-23 season that Arsenal began without Gabriel Magalhaes or William Saliba. Although David Raya faced little early pressure, Arsenal's defence appeared vulnerable as Fernandez and Estevao looked lively for Chelsea.
Caicedo became Chelsea's seventh player to receive a red card against Arsenal in Premier League history, following David Luiz in September 2017. Despite this setback, Chelsea can take pride in their defensive efforts. Arsenal managed just eight shots, their fewest in a league game since October 2024 against Bournemouth.
This was also notable as it was the first time since August 2010 that Arsenal failed to win a Premier League match where their opponents received a first-half red card. That previous instance was also a 1-1 draw against Liverpool when Joe Cole was sent off.
Chelsea has now drawn three consecutive home games against Arsenal but showed resilience and determination throughout this encounter. Their performance highlighted their capability to challenge top teams even under challenging circumstances.
