Sports
Chelsea Hold Arsenal to 1–1 Draw Despite First-Half Red Card in Heated London Derby
Chelsea battled to a resilient 1–1 draw against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge despite playing more than 50 minutes with ten men.
Moisés Caicedo was shown a straight red card in the 38th minute for a reckless challenge on Mikel Merino, a decision upheld after a VAR review.
The Blues responded impressively after the break, taking the lead in the 47th minute when Trevoh Chalobah powered in a header from Reece James’s corner.
But Arsenal hit back quicklyMerino, involved in the red-card incident, nodded in Bukayo Saka’s pinpoint cross to level the score.
Missing their first choice center-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, Arsenal pushed hard for a late winner but were repeatedly denied by Chelsea’s disciplined defensive shape.
The draw keeps Arsenal at the top of the table, while Chelsea walk away with a hard-earned point in a tense and emotionally charged derby.
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