The London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal was always going to be a big occasion, but the tempo was higher than ever in a game that finished with a comfortable 2-0 win for the Blues. Based solely on Chelsea’s 6-0 thrashing last season, this was an improvement.
Known for their longtime managerial rivalry, an early incident saw Wenger push Mourinho on the sideline, following Cahill’s challenge on Sanchez which resulted in a yellow.
The first goal arrived close to the 30-minute mark, after Hazard made a darting run through the Gunners defence to earn a penalty. Eden scored from the spot, without even looking at the ball.
Chelsea were confident in standing their ground since the first goal, allowing Arsenal to push forward but resulting in nothing worthwhile.
Even so, Hazard came close again.
The patience of the home side paid off with around 10 minutes to go, with Fabregas threading a neat ball through to Costa, who chested it down for a precise lob over Szczęsny.
