Merino's header denies valiant 10-man Chelsea in ferocious London derby
Premier League leaders Arsenal were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at 10-man Chelsea, as Mikel Merino’s second-half header cancelled out Trevoh Chalobah’s opener after Moises Caicedo had been sent off in a stormy London derby at Stamford Bridge. The result preserves Arsenal’s advantage at the top of the table and keeps Chelsea in the thick of the title race, but it left both sides with the sense that victory had been within reach.
In a contest defined as much by its snarl as its skill, Chelsea played for almost an hour a man down yet still managed to outshoot Arsenal and create some of the clearer openings, while Arsenal, below their usual fluency, summoned enough quality through Bukayo Saka and Merino to emerge with a point. A late surge from the visitors and some brave defending from the hosts ensured a pulsating yet ultimately even derby.
Chelsea’s ferocious start and Arsenal’s patched-up defence