Chelsea delivered a high-resilience performance to secure a 1-1 draw against league leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, despite playing almost an entire half with ten men.

Arsenal arrived looking to widen their advantage at the top of the Premier League standings, but the contest quickly turned tense.

The key flashpoint came shortly before the interval when Moises Caicedo saw his initial yellow card upgraded to red after VAR flagged a dangerous challenge on Martin Zubimendi.

The dismissal tilted momentum toward Arsenal, at least on paper.

Chelsea strike first against the odds

Down a man, Chelsea showed no appetite for damage control. Two minutes into the second half, Trevoh Chalobah found space at the near post and guided a looping header beyond David Raya to put the Blues ahead.

Arsenal hit back but cannot finish the job

Arsenal responded inside 15 minutes. Bukayo Saka whipped in a precise delivery that Mikel Merino nodded past Robert Sánchez for the equaliser.

But despite sustained pressure, Mikel Arteta’s men lacked the cutting edge to turn one point into three.

The draw leaves Arsenal still atop the table but frustrated, while Chelsea walk away with a morale-boosting result earned through discipline and defensive grit.