Chelsea and Arsenal played out a fractious affair at Stamford Bridge yesterday, with the tensions just as hot off the pitch as on it, as the rival managers clashed on the touchline.
Chelsea ultimately won the game comfortably 2-0 to become the only Premier League side still unbeaten this term thanks to a penalty from Eden Hazard and a neatly taken goal from the lively Diego Costa, making it nine goals in seven league matches for the Spanish international.
Arsenal had few offensive moments of note in the match but were aggrieved when the officials missed a possible handball incident involving old boy Cesc Fabregas, now firmly installed in Chelsea's engine room, that would have given Arsenal a penalty.
Arsene Wenger was unable to keep his cool as Chelsea bit into the tackles to limit their opposition players' time on the ball and transgressed into Jose Mourinho's technical area at one point, laying hands on the opposition manager's chest after a particularly robust challenge by Gary Cahill on Alexis Sanchez. Suffice to say they had their differences of opinion about the match afterwards, with both suggesting that the other team were lucky to remain with all their players still on the pitch as the tackles had flown in during the game itself. Replays after the match suggested that a two footed lunge by Danny Welbeck of Arsenal and Cahill's crude tackle for Chelsea could both have seen a straight red shown, but the officials decided otherwise at the time.
Calum Chambers had a particularly uncomfortable match in the Arsenal defence, getting an early booking and escaping another shortly afterwards that would have seen him leave the pitch. As it was, his predicament gave Chelsea a constant source of attack down his flank as Chambers had to be wary of the second yellow, limiting how tightly he was able to press opposition players.
The match itself saw a goal for Chelsea in each half. First Laurent Koscielny brought down Hazard in the box to earn the penalty that the Belgium slotted home in the 27th minute. Then a long ball down the middle from the excellent Fabregas was latched on to by Costa, who instinctively lobbed the keeper on 78 minutes. Two nil, job done for Mourinho's men and they go into the international break 5 points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, as the table begins to take on an all too familiar feel.
One moment of concern for the Blues was when their number one keeper Thibaut Courtois had to go off after an accidental clash with Alexis Sanchez in the first half. He had initially played on but on medical advice was forced to go off the pitch for further examinations. The fact that they were able to bring on someone of the experience of former first choice ,Petr Cech though as his replacement demonstrates the strength of this title seeking squad. Courtois went to hospital as a precaution given that he had suffered a head injury, but has since been discharged and should be available for Belgium's Euro qualifiers later this week.
The incident between the two managers looks unlikely to require further intervention or punishment, as it has been deemed that the match officials dealt with the matter adequately at the time.
