The Gunners had remained unbeaten in nine games, their last English top-flight match being another London derby where they dominated their neighbors, Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal has remained unbeaten against Chelsea since 2021

Meanwhile, the Blues had gone three league games unbeaten themselves and earned praise for the way they dismantled European giants Barcelona in their midweek Champions League encounter.

In recent matchups, Arsenal had the upper hand over Chelsea, not losing in seven meetings since August 2021. During this time, the North Londoners scored 17 goals while conceding only six against their West London rivals.

The match was clearly going to be a challenging test for Mikel Arteta and his squad, especially as Chelsea had earned 10 points out of a possible 18 at Stamford Bridge this season.

Additionally, the hosts had won five and lost only one of their six home games in 2025/26, whereas the visitors had suffered just one defeat all season, which came at Anfield against Liverpool.

Conceding only six goals in 12 English top-flight matches this season meant Arsenal had the stingiest defense in the league.

No Saliba or Gabriel for the Gunners

That defensive line was missing both William Saliba and Gabriel for just the second time in their last 162 combined league appearances.

The visitors showed clear intent from the opening whistle, and when Martin Zubimendi received a yellow card in the fifth minute, it was the earliest booking for an Arsenal player in a Premier League match since Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain against Middlesbrough in April 2017 (fourth minute).

Chelsea's Marc Cucurella also soon found himself booked, marking the fourth time in his last five games against the Gunners that he has been cautioned.

Neither side managed a shot on target until the 12th minute, Bukayo Saka's attempt being the only occasion in the match he got past Robert Sanchez.

Yellow cards distributed like confetti

The intense nature of the match quickly led to another yellow card, this time for Cristhian Mosquera, the earliest in a Premier League game in 2025 where three cards were issued.

Chelsea's players then took control of the game, with Estevao attempting two of the three Chelsea shots within a three-minute span.

The Brazilian, a standout performer against Barcelona, was making his fifth Premier League start for the club. At 18 years and 220 days old, he became the second youngest player to start after Jody Morris (18 years, 115 days).

The home side's dominance was evident as Gabriel Martinelli, usually a key attacking threat for Arsenal, had touched the ball only six times in the first half-hour.

Caicedo rightly sent off

Shortly after, Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Moises Caicedo raised his studs into Mikel Merino. The Ecuadorian, who had made just one interception and touched the ball 22 times — fewer than everyone except Estevao — had no grounds for complaint.

This marked Chelsea's fourth red card in 13 league matches this season, just one less than the five they received in the entire 2015/16 season, an issueEnzo Maresca may need to address moving forward.

The Italian coach might argue his team used their physicality appropriately, considering the 42 one-on-one duels attempted by Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandez and Reece James alone, winning most of them.

Just before halftime, Martinelli finally managed a shot on target, but Robert Sanchez made an excellent save, diving the wrong way yet somehow getting a hand to the ball.

For a goalkeeper who has faced criticism recently, it was one of three saves, matching David Raya at the other end.

Garnacho makes history

Coincidentally, Martinelli's shot was one of only two Arsenal attempts on goal in the first half; their fewest in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match since October 2023, also versus Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Alejandro Garnacho came on for the second half and in doing so became the youngest South American to reach 100 Premier League appearances (21 years, 152 days).

However, he would likely prefer not to recall his contribution, with just one touch inside the Arsenal box despite a perfect passing record from 10 attempts.

Just two minutes into the second half, Trevoh Chalobah jumped highest to flick a corner into the net, sending the Stamford Bridge crowd into jubilation.

The defender had already put in a strong performance, winning most of his duels, regaining possession four times, clearing the ball six times, and winning every tackle he made.

To their credit, Arsenal kept probing their opponents' weaknesses, with Declan Rice (93.1%), Zubimendi (88.5%), and Eberechi Eze (88.9%) controlling the midfield battle.

Merino scores a header against Chelsea again

Just before the hour mark, Saka escaped Cucurella's tight marking and delivered a precise cross that was powerfully headed home by an unmarked Merino, one of his four touches inside the Chelsea box, the second highest on the day.

Only Chelsea can match Arsenal's tally of eight headed goals this season, with this goal being Merino's second consecutive headed goal against Chelsea.

Among all non-defenders with 10 or more goals in Premier League history, only James Scowcroft (71% - 10 out of 14) has a higher headed goal ratio than the Spanish midfielder.

Despite Arsenal holding 70% possession, the hosts grew stronger as the match went on, with Liam Delap, Pedro Neto and Wesley Fofana all coming close to scoring.

Reece James won more duels (nine) than any other player in the match, which likely contributed to Arsenal having their fewest shots in a Premier League game since September 2024 against Manchester City.

In the end, both teams will probably see the point earned as a gain rather than two points dropped.