From the first whistle, players from both sides looked to snap into challenges and win the physical battles, but after just 38 minutes, Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo was given his marching orders for a late challenge on Arsenal’s Mikel Merino.
After initially being booked for his lunge on the Spaniard, Caicedo had his yellow card upgraded to a red as Anthony Taylor was recommended to take a look at the ugly replay by the video assistant referee.
Arsenal were both physical and aerially dominant. The sending off buoyed the Gunners’ spirits, and the excellent Declan Rice acknowledged the advantage Arsenal had with a bursting run through the third before setting up Gabriel Martinelli on the edge of the Chelsea box, but the Brazilian’s shot was well saved by Robert Sanchez.
However, just two minutes into the second half, the hosts took a surprising lead through Trevor Chalobah.
Having gone into the game with a similar set-piece record to that of their opponents, Chelsea opened the scoring from a well-worked corner routine. Captain Reece James delicately swung the ball into the Arsenal box as Chalobah got in front of Jurrien Timber before deftly heading over Raya and into the far corner.
It was a wake-up call for Arsenal, who had failed to create much due to the defensive nature of how Enzo Maresca had instructed his side to play once Caicedo had been sent off.
Arsenal’s quality finally came to light on the hour mark when makeshift striker Mikel Merino nodded in Bukayo Saka’s cross to level the scores.
The latter was able to turn away from Marc Cucurella before cutting back onto his favoured left foot and swinging a cross onto the head of Merino, who duly obliged by nodding effortlessly past Sanchez.
Despite being down a man, Chelsea continued to look threatening on the counter attack. Maresca opted to bring on Alejandro Garnacho in place of Estevao to provide an outball as the hosts looked to hurt Arteta’s side on the break.
Arsenal probed for a late winner and might have taken all three points when Timber agonisingly took the ball away from substitute Viktor Gyokeres with an attempted header on goal.
But Chelsea remained firm to take a deserved point and halt Arsenal’s early season charge to the Premier League title with second-placed Manchester City just five points behind Mikel Arteta's team.
Teams:
**Chelsea:** Sanchez (GK), Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella, James (C), Caicedo, Estevao (Garnacho, 46), Enzo, Neto, Joao Pedro (Delap, 55)
Subs: Jorgensen (GK), Acheampong, Tosin, Badiashille, Andrey Santos, Palmer, Gittens
**Arsenal:** Raya (GK), Timber, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly, 46), Rice, Zubimendi (Odegaard, 57), Eze (Gyokeres, 72), Saka (C), Martinelli (Madueke, 57), Merino.
Subs: Arrizabalaga (GK), White, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Jesus.