From the first minutes, the derby atmosphere quickly heated up the pitch as both teams created fierce challenges.
Chelsea entered the match in high spirits after their resounding victory over Barcelona in the Champions League, while Arsenal were also full of confidence after defeating Bayern Munich.
The first notable chance went to Bukayo Saka, but his dangerous shot was greatly blocked by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The Blues then responded with a long-range shot from Enzo Fernandez, forcing David Raya to show his save.
The turning point of the match came in the 38th minute, when Moises Caicedo received a direct red card for a rough tackle on Mikel Merino. This was Chelsea's seventh red card of the season.
Despite having to play with one less player, the home team still stood firm against the pressure from the opponent. Especially the situation where Sanchez flew to block Martinelli's curse right before the break.
In the second half, Chelsea unexpectedly opened the scoring in the 48th minute. From Reece James' free kick, Trevoh Chalobah jumped high and headed the ball into the near corner, leaving Raya completely helpless.
However, the Blues' advantage did not last long. In the 59th minute, from Saka's pass, Merino headed the ball to score, bringing the match back to balance.
Arsenal then continuously increased the pressure, but Chelsea still stood firmly thanks to the focus of the defense and the excellent form of goalkeeper Sanchez.
The Gunners almost won all 3 points in the final minutes when Viktor Gyokeres fired a dangerous shot, forcing Sanchez to fly to save the goal once again.
The 1-1 draw is a worthy reward for both teams' efforts. Chelsea rose to 3rd place, 6 points behind Arsenal, while Mikel Arteta and his team maintained their top spot and maintained a 5-point gap with Manchester City.
