Premier League: Chelsea hold Arsenal to 1-1 draw despite Caicedo’s first-half red

LONDON: Chelsea dug deep to secure a 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal, despite being reduced to 10 men following Moises Caicedo’s first-half red card in a fiery London derby at Stamford Bridge, as per Sky Sports.

Caicedo initially received a yellow, which was upgraded to a red after a VAR review for a studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino, making him the fourth Chelsea player sent off this season. Even a man down, Enzo Maresca’s side struck immediately after the break. Trevoh Chalobah glanced in a near-post header from a Reece James corner to give the hosts the lead.

Arsenal responded through Bukayo Saka, who wriggled past his marker on the right flank and delivered a precise cross for Merino to nod into the far corner. With half an hour still left and Chelsea down to 10, the visitors looked set to push for a winner, but they struggled to score. Merino came closest, forcing Robert Sanchez into a sharp stop from the edge of the box.

London derby delight

Enjoy all the action from our big win over Chelsea pic.twitter.com/Xl2OG0lrYg

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) April 23, 2024

The Gunners were missing their first-choice defensive pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, only the second time in 162 league games. Chelsea felt hard done by when Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie received just a yellow for an elbow that left Trevoh Chalobah with a bruised cheek.

The hosts continued to threaten in the final stages, with substitute Liam Delap forcing a save from David Raya. In the end, Stamford Bridge applauded a gritty performance, though there was a sense of what might have been had Caicedo stayed on the pitch.

With the result, Arsenal’s lead at the top shrinks from six points to five, as Manchester City climbed above Chelsea into second place following their win over Leeds on Saturday. (ANI)