Image Credits: Imago Images
Arsenal’s grip on the Premier League summit has loosened after a tempestuous 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, reducing their advantage over second-placed Manchester City to just five points.
The Gunners, who entered the match seeking to extend their lead to a commanding seven points, were forced to settle for a share of the spoils in one of the season’s most ill-tempered encounters.
The result represents a missed opportunity for Mikel Arteta’s side, who faced a Chelsea team reduced to 10 men for over 50 minutes following Moises Caicedo’s dismissal in the 38th minute.
The encounter at Stamford Bridge lived up to its billing as a proper London derby, with both sides displaying intense physicality from the opening whistle.
Chelsea dominated the early exchanges, with Arsenal struggling to create meaningful chances—managing just one shot before Caicedo’s red card.
The Blues midfielder was initially shown a yellow card for a reckless studs-up challenge on Mikel Merino, but VAR intervention prompted referee Anthony Taylor to upgrade the decision to a sending-off.
But the tempers flared on both sides, with Arsenal receiving 6 yellow cards in the clash at Stamford Bridge.
As a result, the Gunners now face a £25,000 fine from the Football Association for meeting that six booking threshold according to talkSPORT.
Referee Anthony Taylor issued cautions to Martin Zubimendi (5th minute), Cristhian Mosquera (13th minute), Riccardo Calafiori (27th minute), Piero Hincapie (before half-time), Myles Lewis-Skelly (54th minute), and Viktor Gyokeres (88th minute).
Three of those bookings came within the opening 30 minutes.
Caicedo’s dismissal carries a three-match suspension, ruling him out of Chelsea fixtures against Leeds United, Bournemouth, and Everton.
It marked Chelsea’s fourth red card in 13 league matches this season and seventh across all competitions under manager Enzo Maresca.
Arteta acknowledged the fractious nature of the contest in his post-match comments: “It was a proper London derby. It was really tense, and you could sense from the beginning that every duel, every action, has something on it. Two teams are very willing to win, and not much football. A lot of stops, free-kicks, yellow cards, so not a lot of fluidity.
It’s set to be the second time that the Gunners are sanctioned by the FA this term.
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