Arsenal missed the chance to open a seven-point gap at the top of the Premier League after being held to a 1–1 draw by ten-man Chelsea in a heated London derby at Stamford Bridge.

Despite Moisés Caicedo’s early red card for a dangerous tackle on Mikel Merino, the Gunners failed to fully capitalise on the numerical advantage. Chelsea showed remarkable resilience and nearly snatched all three points.

Trevoh Chalobah gave the hosts the lead early in the second half, rising above the Arsenal defence to head home from a well-delivered corner. The goal stunned the visitors, who had struggled to create clear chances despite dominating possession.

Arsenal eventually responded through Mikel Merino, who powered home a header from Bukayo Saka’s clever delivery — the winger’s first assist in a year. With more than 30 minutes to play and a man advantage, Mikel Arteta’s side pushed forward in search of a winner, but Chelsea’s defence held firm.

Arteta introduced Martin Ødegaard, Noni Madueke and Viktor Gyökeres in an attempt to turn the game, yet the Blues maintained their shape and discipline. Arsenal came closest late on when Merino’s low strike was parried by Robert Sánchez, who was then clattered by Gyökeres as he gathered the rebound.

Despite the draw, Arsenal remain five points clear at the top and extend their unbeaten run to 17 matches. Chelsea, meanwhile, earned a morale-boosting point, celebrated by the home crowd almost like a victory.

It was a fiercely contested derby filled with raw intensity, heavy challenges and five yellow cards in the first half alone. Though Arsenal controlled much of the ball, they lacked the killer edge that saw them dismantle Tottenham and Bayern Munich earlier in the week.

In the end, both sides were left with mixed feelings: Chelsea proud of their defiant display, Arsenal frustrated at missing a golden opportunity to tighten their grip on the title race.