Arsenal battled to a 1-1 draw against a resilient 10-man Chelsea in a thrilling Premier League clash at Stamford Bridge, with Mikel Merino’s second-half header earning the Gunners a point after a tough contest.

 

The match took a dramatic turn in the 38th minute when Chelsea midfielder Moisés Caicedo was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Merino, leaving the Blues to play with a man down for the remainder of the game. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea struck first after the break. Trevoh Chalobah nodded in a header from Reece James’ corner in the 48th minute to give the home side a shock lead.

 

However, Arsenal responded in style. In the 59th minute, Merino made up for the earlier foul on him by finding the back of the net, guiding Bukayo Saka’s pinpoint cross into the net with a well-timed header to level the score at 1-1.

 

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The result means Arsenal extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points over second-placed Manchester City, who secured a 2-0 win against Newcastle earlier in the day. Chelsea, who remain in third place, are six points behind the leaders.

 

Despite being reduced to 10 men, Chelsea’s gritty performance demonstrated that they could still be a formidable force in the title race. Arsenal, however, remain unbeaten in their last 17 games across all competitions, winning 14 of those matches, and look poised to push for their first league title since 2004.

 

As the season progresses, Arsenal’s ability to grind out results like this could prove crucial, though Chelsea’s defiant display suggests they may yet challenge the Gunners for top honors.

 

 

Source: Channels