TEN-MAN BLUES HANG ON AS WE EXTEND OUR UNBEATEN RUN
Arsenal marched into Stamford Bridge, went a goal down, fought back, and left with a point that pushes us five clear at the top — but let's be honest, we should've left west London with all three and Chelsea should've left with an ice pack and a prayer.
Moises Caicedo did his best medieval executioner impression on Mikel Merino, earning a red card that somehow still felt generous. Even then, the ten men nicked a corner goal through Trevoh Chalobah before Merino rose like he'd just remembered that Caicedo tried to snap his leg to head us level from Saka's delicious cross.
Seventeen games unbeaten. A point earned, or two dropped? Depends how allergic you are to Stamford Bridge.
A DERBY WITH NO CHILL
You expect heat in a London derby, but this started like someone spiked the pre-match water bottles with pure chaos. Zubimendi, Cucurella and Mosquera all booked before some fans had sat down. Arsenal carved the first proper chance: Eze feeding Saka, who had all the time in the world… and still found Robert Sanchez's gloves. Annoying.
Declan Rice then produced a tackle so perfect it belonged in a museum, dispossessing Pedro Neto just as he shaped to shoot. Estevao blasted over soon after, and Stamford Bridge began to sense blood.
With Saliba picking up a knock in training, this was only the second time in 162 league games we've gone without either him or Gabriel. No surprise then that Chelsea tried to test the Timber–Hincapié–Mosquera axis. But Jurrien Timber came galloping across on 20 minutes to stop Enzo Fernández clean through — a tackle so good you could hear Edu clapping from wherever he was watching.
CAICEDO MAKES HIS OWN MESS
Chelsea kept poking and prodding without much quality, and Raya was barely troubled before Caicedo decided to headline the half.
His studs-up lunge on Merino was so reckless it doubled as a confession. The ref went to the monitor, pretended to think about it, and upgraded yellow to red. Correct. Inevitable. And still somehow not enough for the howls of Stamford Bridge.
Just before the whistle, Rice powered forward and fed Martinelli, who forced another sharp stop from Sanchez. You sensed the game's rhythm shift. Their legs were going. So were their ideas.
THE SET PIECE SLAP
So of course, two minutes into the second half, they scored.
A near-post flick from Chalobah looped over everyone and snuck in at the far stick — the softest of soft goals, the kind that makes you want to throw your season ticket at the telly even if you're not at home.
But credit where due: Arteta didn't blink. Ødegaard and Madueke came on, and suddenly the tempo snapped back into our favour.
Saka twisted, wriggled, tormented his full-back, then floated a cross so inviting Merino couldn't possibly refuse. 1–1. Fully deserved.
WE PUSH, THEY PRAY
Raya made a sharp save from Liam Delap while Saka scalped the crossbar's paint at the other end. Merino went close again, though his late strike lacked the bend to beat Sanchez.
Chelsea clung on with both hands and a few toes. We probed, pressed, and suffocated, but the winner wouldn't fall. Stamford Bridge celebrated the point like it was silverware. We trudged off knowing it should've been more.
Still — seventeen unbeaten. Five points clear. Top of the league.
It's annoying, yes. But it's also very, very real.
NEXT UP
No rest, no breath. Brentford at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Then Aston Villa away on Saturday — never a gentle outing.
The title race is simmering nicely. Let's turn it up a notch.
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