Chelsea earned a battling 1-1 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge despite playing for almost an hour with 10 men.
Moises Caicedo was sent off after 36 minutes for a terrible studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino, and at that point Chelsea might have folded, just as previously this season when going a player down before half-time.
This time they stood up manfully, bettering Arenal’s will to win with an unshakeable desire not to be beaten and all but ejected from the title race.
What it means. #CFC | #CHEARS pic.twitter.com/CPZepRaV8k
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) November 30, 2025
Trevoh Chalobah headed the 10 men into the lead shortly after half-time, and though Merino levelled for Arsenal before the hour, Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca could take away plenty of encouragement from the way his team refused to lie down before the leaders.
The first half was a study in hard-tackling and nervous drama.
Marc Cucurella took out Bukayo Saka, Caicedo flattened then squared up to Merino – a prescient foreshadowing of the game’s decisive moment of redirection – then Martin Zubimendi was booked for a cynical foul in midfield, all before the fourth minute.
Cucurella, determined to make his presence known to Saka, was himself booked after 10 minutes for another foul on the England forward. Saka cannily evaded the full-back moments later to bring the first save of the match from Robert Sanchez, blocking well with his foot at the near post.
There was an outrageous miss by Estevao, who nearly put the ball over the roof of the Shed End from a free shot 10 yards out. Undeterred, he then went closer but still cleared the crossbar with a curling effort cutting in from the right.
Chelsea had been the better team before losing
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