I am open to banter, be it aggressive or good-natured, but nothing can be taken away from Chelsea FC after defeating nine-man Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. The positive result means that they once again claim the bragging rights of London and in the process have hopefully got their season back on track.
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As expected the match did not disappoint in terms of providing controversial moments, but this time we didn’t have to look at the sidelines for the action as there was plenty to enjoy on the pitch itself. Diego Costa and Arsenal defender Gabriel squared off with the latter eventually dismissed for a silly kick out at the Blues striker. In a bid to combat common sense, Gabriel lashed out right in front of the referee too.
Yes Costa might have heightened the intensity of the situation by intimidating the referee but Gabriel’s reaction nowadays is more than enough to merit a red card.
This is the second consecutive game where the Gunners were reduced to 10 men (eventually to 9). Chelsea made them pay with a brilliant set piece from Cesc Fabregas leading to a header from Kurt Zouma while Eden Hazard wrapped it all up at the end, making it 2-0 with minutes left to play.
Many may say that the sending off was the moment which changed the fate of the match, but in the balance of play, Chelsea did deserve to win the game as they had more of the possession and more of the shots on target.
Here are 5 lessons learned from the intriguing fixture at the Bridge.
Next: You Can't Ignore Costa