Right from the off, this London derby really felt like a meeting of two of Europe’s top sides, who were fresh off Champions League victories against Barcelona and Bayern Munich, respectively, in midweek.

On top before the red

Understandably, there was an edge to the contest, with four players booked and ten fouls committed inside the opening 27 minutes. Unfortunately, Moises Caicedo was deemed to have crossed the line and was dismissed between then and the half-time whistle being blown, but until the red card, the Blues had been on top.

Our energy and intent out of possession limited Arsenal’s attacking threat, evidenced by the fact we completed more passes in the opposition half and final third than they did in that period. That helped us register four shots to their one, amounting to an xG (Expected Goals) tally twice as high.

The Blues' passing was also more accurate (85 per cent to Arsenal’s 78 per cent), while we came out on top of more duels, notably aerially (76 per cent success rate).

In fact, Arsenal mustered just two first-half attempts, their fewest in a league game since another game at the Bridge back in October 2023.

Of course, the red card shifted the dial and we quickly had to adapt to having one player fewer, passing the test with flying colours.

Remaining positive

Enzo Fernandez immediately dropped into a more central midfield role alongside Reece James following Caicedo's dismissal.

Enzo Maresca showcased bravery by opting to keep two wingers and a centre-forward on the pitch. His only two changes were like-for-like, replacing Estevao Willian and Joao Pedro with Alejandro Garnacho and Liam Delap, respectively.

The Blues had to be exceptionally disciplined out of possession to stop Arsenal from opening us up. That our xG was still higher than the Gunners’ heading into stoppage time at the end of the game is testament to our solid defensive unit, and the work the likes of Pedro Neto and Garnacho put in to aid the back four. Arsenal’s final tally of eight shots is their lowest this season.

The full-backs Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella continued to get forward when they could, while we dissected the outstanding display James put in in our Player of the Match analysis article. The skipper starred in central midfield with and without the ball, and his runs from deep and passing ability were vital to our counter-attacking threat in the second half.

It was also noticeable that while Arsenal were happy to waste time when it was 11 vs 11 in the first half, we were continually positive at restarts, even with ten men. That included, for example, when Robert Sanchez claimed the ball. His first thought was to see if he could release it quickly and try and catch Arsenal in transition.

By the final whistle, we had become the first team since Manchester United on the opening day of the season to have ten or more shots against Arsenal.

Set-piece success

In the past 18 months, Arsenal’s set-piece threat has been key to their improved form. Prior to yesterday’s game, they had notched a league-high ten goals from corners, free-kicks or throw-ins this season.

The Blues were next on that particular list with eight such goals, however, and we added another early in the second half. The initial action was a deep free-kick from Reece James that Joao Pedro got his head to, forcing David Raya to shovel the ball behind.

From the resulting corner, James whipped his delivery into the near post area where Trevoh Chalobah had found a yard of space. The defender cleverly helped the cross on its way with a deft backwards header that fizzed over Raya and into the net. Chalobah now has three league goals for the season, and the 10-man Blues had a lead we thoroughly deserved.

At the other end, we limited Arsenal to just three corners all game. The first arrived in the 45th minute, not long after the red card. Every blue shirt was inside the box and Robert Sanchez confidently claimed Bukayo Saka’s delivery before quickly releasing the breaking Pedro Neto.

Another Arsenal corner arrived in stoppage time at the end of the first half and again Sanchez got there first, punching the cross away and allowing Neto to once more lead a counter-attack. On both occasions, blue shirts had strived to ensure our keeper was not blocked as he travelled towards the ball.

Chelsea’s positive and proactive approach was reinforced in the second half when we left Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Delap up the pitch for a Gunners corner. That forced three visiting players to leave the penalty area and mark our wingers and striker, freeing up space for Sanchez to dominate his six-yard box yet again. He confidently caught Saka’s delivery, with James doing a good job of protecting the keeper from Jurrien Timber.

With two different strategies, we had successfully neutered Arsenal’s biggest threat.

Super Sanchez

The final word goes to Sanchez, who made two fantastic saves at crucial times in the game.

The first was shortly after the red card, getting down low to deny Gabriel Martinelli. The second was similar and came very late in the game, with Mikel Merino’s shot destined for the bottom corner until Sanchez sprung to his left. He then bravely got to the loose ball before the sliding Viktor Gyokeres, receiving a clattering for his troubles.

Alongside the dominance of his box from the few set-pieces Arsenal had and his willingness to launch counter-attacks, it was a proper all-round goalkeeping display from Chelsea’s number one.