High-octane Chelsea test Arsenal mettle but are held back by Caicedo's red

When West meets North : Picture by @YTJourno

Premier League

Chelsea (0) 1 Chalobah 48

Arsenal (0) 1 Merino 59

Chelsea's bid to close a six-point gap on league leaders Arsenal fell just short but they pushed the Gunners all the way, even with 10 men.

They had to cope without Moises Caicedo after his 38th minute dismissal but still had enough about them to grab a lead and then showed defensive nous to make sure they denied the Gunners a win the visitors had threatened after a quick equaliser.

In a game which was all about physical resolve and mental fortitude, the final outcome had a certain inevitability and probably suits Mikel Arteta's men more than the Blues.

There wasn't much football played during a chaotic and war-like opening half that saw Caicedo deservedly receive a straight red card for 'excessive force' in a reckless planting of studs into Mikel Merino's ankle.

But that reduction in numbers did not bring about instant Arsenal dominance, as you might have expected, and at the start of the second half, Trevoh Chalobah nodded in a fine inswinging corner from Reece James - outstanding throughout - to give the Blues the lead.

We were level just before the hour when Bukayo Saka finally worked a bit of time and space near the right dead-ball line to clip in a cross for Merino to head in at the far post and that turned out to be the final time the scoreboard would alter.

Caicedo's dismissal was the logical consequence of a no-holds barred approach from Enzo Maresca's men, who set out to unsettle. In minute one, Marc Cucurella clattered into Saka. Caicedo barged into the back of Jurrien Timber. Enzo Fernandez picked fights with Martin Zubimendi and later David Raya. Home fans loved that, of course.

Four Gunners players went into ref Anthony Taylor's notebook before the break - with Cucurella also cautioned in addition to Caicedo, who became the seventh Blues man sent off this season in a total which includes Maresca himself.

This was all about artisans rather than artists and Estevao was withdrawn at the interval with Arsenal's playmaker Eberechi Eze taken off during a quiet second half showing.

This was quite the titanic struggle, with nothing ultimately altered in the contest of supremacy between the two. But the result does extend Arsenals' remarkable record in London derbies to just three defeats in 41 contests - and also makes it seven seasons without defeat at the Bridge.

After the week of fixtures they have had - Spurs and Bayern this week, with Villa away to come next Saturday - they will surely be happy enough with how it turned out today. Especially considering they had to play without both Gabriel and William Saliba - the injured pair a cornerstone of this season's great run of success.

Blues: (4-2-3-1) Sanchez - Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella - James, Caicedo - Estevao (Garnacho h/t), Fernandez, Pedro Neto - Joao Pedro (Delap 54)

Gunners:(4-3-3) Raya - Timber, Mosquera, Hincapie, Calafiori (Lewis-Skelly h/t) - Eze (Gyokeres 72), Zubimendi (Odegaard 57), Rice - Saka, Merino, Martinelli (Madueke 57)