Chelsea fought back from a red card to Moises Caicedo in the first half to get a strong 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. Even though they were down a player for almost an hour, the Blues took a surprise lead thanks to Trevoh Chalobah. Mikel Merino then saved a point for the visitors.
The first half of the match was very heated, and referee Anthony Taylor gave out four yellow cards in the first 30 minutes. Just before the break, things got out of hand when VAR told Taylor to look at Caicedo’s challenge on Merino again. The review led to a straight red card for the Ecuadorian midfielder, so Enzo Maresca’s team had to play the league leaders with only ten men.
But right after the restart, Chelsea went against the odds when Reece James’ corner found Chalobah, who nodded past David Raya to break the tie.
Arsenal, who had just beaten Bayern Munich in the Champions League, finally made their pressure pay off just before the hour mark. Bukayo Saka sent a perfect cross to Merino, who made up for getting a red card by heading the equalizer past Robert Sanchez.
The Gunners had more chances (1.26 xG to Chelsea’s 0.79), but they couldn’t score against a tough Blues defense. Arsenal stay at the top of the table after this game, which sets them up for a midweek match against Brentford. Chelsea, who are in third place, get ready to play Leeds United.
Moises Caicedo signs new Chelsea Deal Ahead of Arsenal game
Moises Caicedo had signed a long-term deal with Chelsea just before the game, which was ironic because he picked up a red card soon after. Reports say that the club moved to protect the midfielder’s status by giving him better terms to reflect his growth into a world-class player and to keep Real Madrid from being interested.
The renewal is a reward for Caicedo’s great play over the past year, which earned him the title of Player of the Season for the 2024/25 season. Caicedo has said that his role at Stamford Bridge is a “dream come true”. He told the official media team for the club:
“It’s a great feeling [playing for Chelsea]. You always prepare for this moment and now you are here at Stamford Bridge with your fans and winning games. You are helping the team and it’s amazing – sometimes I go home and just smile.”