Chelsea and Arsenal draw in thriller, City celebrate | OneFootball

In the London derby, the Blues were winning, but the Gunners equalized to close out the final 1-1. Mikel Arteta’s team dropped points along the way, and Guardiola’s side narrowed the gap in the championship.

The London teams came into this match at the top of the Premier League. Arsenal had 29 points, six more than Chelsea, so Enzo Maresca’s side wanted to reduce the deficit and put an end to the Gunners’ great run, as they look to continue their good form.

Both teams lived up to the promise of a great match. Intense, physical, and full of chances, Chelsea and Arsenal delivered an exciting game at Stamford Bridge, although it was the home side who had to come from behind.

The scoreline remained goalless and everything was very even. However, in the 35th minute, Ecuadorian Moisés Caicedo was sent off for a hard tackle on Mikel Merino.

At first he was booked, but the referee changed his mind after reviewing the action on VAR and decided to send him off with a straight red.

The numerical disadvantage on the field didn’t affect the Blues’ approach, as they kept their eyes firmly on the opponent’s goal, pressing the Gunners and putting them under pressure.

So much so that in the end, Chelsea managed to break the deadlock at home at the start of the second half.

Giving them a taste of their own medicine, Maresca’s side surprised Arteta’s men with a set piece. The corner was taken to the near post, where Chalobah flicked it in for a partial 1-0 lead.

The lead, however, lasted only 10 minutes for Chelsea. In the 59th minute, Merino leveled the score with another header, this time assisted by Saka from the wing.

Despite being a man down, Chelsea didn’t give up and played on the counter, managing to trouble the Gunners’ defense. For his part, Arteta went all out, bringing on Gyokeres to add attacking weight, but it wasn’t enough to secure an away win.

The draw held on the scoreboard and the derby ended with both teams sharing the points. Arsenal now have 30 points and remain alone at the top, while Chelsea are now third with 24, with City in second place (25).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.