Arsenal maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League after battling back to draw 1-1 with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, despite the hosts playing for over an hour with ten men.
Mikel Merino's second-half header cancelled out Trevoh Chalobah's opener, ensuring the Gunners remained in control of the title race after Manchester City had closed the gap earlier in the weekend. Chelsea, who came into the match off the back of a Champions League win over Barcelona, saw their hopes of closing to within three points of the leaders dashed.
The game turned in the first half when Moises Caicedo was sent off for a high challenge on Merino, with VAR prompting referee Anthony Taylor to upgrade his initial yellow card to red. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Chelsea took the lead through Chalobah, a player once deemed surplus to requirements, who headed home from a corner to ignite the home crowd.
Arsenal pushed for an equaliser and eventually found it when Bukayo Saka beat Marc Cucurella and crossed for Merino to score from close range. Mikel Arteta introduced Viktor Gyokeres, Martin Odegaard and Noni Madueke from his deep bench, but the Gunners could not find a winner in the final 30 minutes.
While Arsenal remain top, questions persist about their ruthlessness in big games, having previously dropped points against Liverpool and Manchester City. Chelsea, meanwhile, will take heart from a spirited performance that suggests they could be genuine contenders come May.
