Arsenal dropped points on the road for the second straight Premier League game, drawing 1–1 with an undermanned Chelsea.
A wrench was thrown into Arsenal’s plans before kick-off with William Saliba ruled out with a knock adding to their injury concerns. Cristhian Mosquera partnered Piero Hincapié in defence, while Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus were both back in the matchday squad.
It was a physical London derby between two sides riding momentum from recent European successes. A Moisés Caicedo red card in the first half handed Arsenal the initiative to pick up three points, though the Blues refused to go quietly.
Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring in the second half before Mikel Merino pulled one back for the visitors. For all their possession against the Blues, the Gunners failed to make the most of their opportunity. Stamford Bridge continues to prove trouble for Mikel Arteta, who has now drawn his last three trips to Chelsea.
Arsenal lie five points clear following Manchester City’s win at the weekend as a chaotic December period approaches.
Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
GK: David Raya—7.0: Was caught out of position a couple times and will be disappointed with the nature of Chalobah’s goal.
RB: Jurriën Timber—7.4: The only Arsenal defender to escape a booking. Struggled to have significant impact in attack.
CB: Cristhian Mosquera—7.1: Accurate from the back stepping in for Saliba, though there were nervy moments at times.
CB: Piero Hincapié—6.8: Showcased his physicality, but had his hands full all evening with Chelsea attackers.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—7.0: Hooked at the start of the second half, but more because of the yellow card epidemic rather than performance.
DM: Martín Zubimendi—6.2: Struggled to impose himself in midfield, loose with passes at times.
DM: Declan Rice—6.9: Didn’t truly influence the game as Rice has become accustomed to.
AM: Eberechi Eze—6.4: Eze found it difficult against a staunch Chelsea defence and midfield, even after the Blues went down to 10.
RW: Bukayo Saka—7.7: Assisted his first Premier League goal in a year. Poor decision-making let him down from there on out.
ST: Mikel Merino—7.0: Rescued a point, but often lacked the pace to keep up with Chelsea in transition. Didn’t really provide much after dropping into midfield.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli—6.0: Stepped in for the injured Leandro Trossard, but did not have any attacking prowess about him.
Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri, Ben White, Gabriel Jesus
Chelsea (4-2-3-1)
Starting XI: Robert Sánchez; Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella; Reece James, Moisés Caicedo; Estêvão, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto; João Pedro
Subs used: Alejandro Garnacho, Liam Delap
Player of the Match: David Sánchez (Chelsea)
Arsenal Player of the Match: Jurriën Timber
Chelsea 1–3 Arsenal—How It Unfolded at Stamford Bridge
Both sides were riding some European momentum coming into the game with Arsenal dispatching Bayern Munich and Chelsea toppling Barcelona. Arteta opted to keep the returning Gyökeres on the bench to start the game, favouring the makeshift Mikel Merino. Likewise, Enzo Maresca named Cole Palmer as a substitute.
Early exchanges were physical with the crowd reacting every time Anthony Taylor blew his whistle—or didn’t for that matter. Marc Cucurella and Cristhian Mosquera each picked up yellow cards inside 13 minutes to put both defences on notice.
The Blues dominated the midfield and forced Arsenal to go long often. Estêvão and João Pedro threatened multiple times around the penalty area, but that final bit of quality eluded the star Brazilian duo.
However, all of Chelsea’s positive play was undone when the Blues were reduced to 10 men. Caicedo made a dangerous tackle on Merino as the Ecuadorian jumped in and caught the Spaniard around his ankle. The original decision from Taylor was a yellow card, though a VAR review prompted the referee to the monitor as he upgraded his initial ruling to a straight red.
By the end of the first half, five yellows and one red had been shown.
Moises Caicedo sent off after a full-blooded tackle on Mikel Merino.
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) November 30, 2025
A long way to go with ten men. pic.twitter.com/3z6O83OEa8
Arsenal fell asleep right out of the tunnel on a set piece as Trevoh Chalobah fired the undermanned Blues in front. It was just Arsenal’s second goal conceded this season from a corner.
Arteta further changed things and finally got the spark he needed. Merino equalised in the 59th minute after some stellar work from Bukayo Saka. Arsenal proceeded to dominate possession, but the Blues refused to go quietly. Being resigned to hitting on the counter ended up suiting the hosts given how slowly Arsenal were moving the ball.
Most attacks from the visitors lacked quality, with Arsenal picking up more yellow cards (six) than they had shots on target (four).
Given their difficult run over the last three games, Arteta might fancy a point on the road against a rival. Though, the circumstances of the game, and the potential to go seven points clear, could be viewed as a missed opportunity.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal Half-Time Stats
Chelsea vs. Arsenal Full Time Stats
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Chelsea: Gunners Squander Golden Opportunity.
