Live Commentary: Arsenal vs Chelsea

Good evening. Welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.


This is a fixture that the visitors have largely dominated in recent times, having gone five games without defeat here - conceding just once in the process - and nine without defeat overall.

The Gunners head into this match in the better form, however, thanks to three league wins on the bounce to lift them level on points with their stuttering local rivals.

What will happen in this London derby showdown? Find out below with our extensive updates.


OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

ARSENAL: Cech, Bellerin, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Walcott, Ozil, Iwobi, Sanchez

CHELSEA: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Azpilicueta; Kante; Willian, Fabregas, Matic, Hazard; Costa

ARSENAL SUBS: Ospina, Gibbs, Holding, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Xhaka, Giroud, Perez

CHELSEA SUBS: Begovic, Alonso, Chalobah, Oscar, Moses, Pedro, Batshuayi









The full-time whistle sounds at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal have defeated Chelsea in the Premier League for the first time in 10 attempts. On a day of milestones in North London, most notably Arsene Wenger's 20-year anniversary at the club, the Gunners had the points in the bag thanks to first-half goals from Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil. Thanks for joining our live update of the match.


90+3 min FULL TIME: ARSENAL 3-0 CHELSEA

90+2 min Just the one shot on target for either side in this tame second half - the damage very much being done in those opening 45 minutes. All the noise being made by the home fans now, as they are just 60 seconds from a rare victory over their rivals.

90 min Conte staring back-to-back league defeats in the face for the first time since 2009, with the Italian now needing to go back to the drawing board to get his side back on track. Three minutes of stoppage time to come.

88 min Pedro with a wild effort to compound the visitors' misery. Had that Batshuayi attempt gone in we may just have had a little excitement injected into this match, but it is certainly going to end with the Gunners taking all three points now.

86 min SAVE! A shot on target for Chelsea at long last, but it really should have been more than just a corner to show for it. Batshuayi was played clean through with just Cech to beat, but the former Chelsea stopper kept the attempt out.

84 min Azpilicueta gets a shot away for Cech to keep out, but it looked to be creeping wide anyway so still no attempts on target for the Blues this evening. Just six more minutes for the hosts to see out now, with this win enough to lift them up to third.

82 min Good, well-timed challenge from Mustafi on Batshuayi. The German even won a goal kick for his troubles, although he did appear to be limping afterwards. No more changes for Wenger to make, but he appears to be OK for the time being regardless.

80 min ARSENAL SUB! Giroud makes his fourth appearance from the bench this season, taking the place of opening goalscorer Alexis Sanchez. Alonso's cross into the box from the left is brilliantly defended by Gibbs.

78 min Still no shots on target for the visitors, which is rather incredible when looking at the attacking options available to them, combined with the fact that they have been chasing three goals for the past 40 minutes. Giroud now being readied to come on.

76 min Xhaka finally listens to supporters and unleashes a shot from range, which those in attendance will quickly want to forget! A very quiet second half at the Emirates Stadium, but Giroud may change that as he is about to be brought on.

74 min Xhaka being asked to shoot at every opportunity by home fans after scoring twice in the past week from distance, but he is playing things safer and just keeping possession ticking over. Costa fashions a chance from nothing at the other end, only for Bellerin to brilliantly recover and produce a tackle.

72 min SUBS! Gibbs is introduced in place of Iwobi for the hosts, while Batshuayi and Pedro are on for Willian and Hazard. A final roll of the dice for Conte, then, which has arrived far sooner than his first switch eight days ago.

70 min SAVE! Passes galore from Arsenal, with no Chelsea player putting pressure on the ball. Sanchez slots in Walcott, who sees his shot across goal well kept out by the full reach of Courtois. A couple of changes about to be made.

68 min Ivanovic holds his hands up to apologise after unleashing a shot from 40 yards out which inevitably ended high in the stands. The Gunners will be happy enough with the way this one is panning out; Chelsea seeing more of the ball but doing nothing with it.

66 min Wenger might be thinking about making another change, with his side unable to really match the intensity levels set in the opening 45 minutes. No real danger of conceding at the moment, though, so Wenger in no real rush.

64 min Things are starting to fall apart for Chelsea once again, as Cahill lambasts Courtois for failing to collect a loose ball. The Englishman gets to the ball ahead of an Arsenal player, putting his boot right through it to concede a needless throw.

62 min Chelsea are beginning to get the ball wide a little more often now, sending crosses into the box to finally ask some questions of Arsenal's backline. Still around 30 minutes to go - plenty of time to score three goals and rescue the most unlikely of points.

60 min Costa's first half-chance of the match, as a cross from Azpilicueta is met by the Spaniard 15 yards out. He had plenty to do to direct the ball goalwards, which he failed to do with his attempt ending a couple of yards wide.

58 min Arsenal a little over half an hour from ending their recent hoodoo against Chelsea, then, with the Gunners looking the more likely to add a fourth goal of the game. Chelsea changing systems during a match is not ideal; a difficult task being made harder.

56 min It has got to the point where it is actually too easy for Arsenal when breaking forward. Ozil has so much time on the ball that he fails to get a shot away, instead waiting to see who he can lay off, before two red shirts get in each other's way on the edge of the box.

54 min CHELSEA SUB! Fabregas is replaced by Marcos Alonso with a little under 10 minutes of the half played, potentially meaning three at the back for the visitors for the remainder. Fabregas, incidentally, had a mixed reception of boos and cheers when leaving the pitch.

52 min A real chance goes begging for the Gunners, as Walcott is given all the space in the world to charge into the box. The angle was against him so he reluctantly chipped the ball into a central position, but the ball had too much on it for a teammate to nod home.

50 min Iwobi makes inroads down the left-hand side, beating Ivanovic for pace but being unable to get the better of the covering Fabregas. Chelsea seeing plenty of the ball at the moment but not really doing a great deal with it.

48 min Worth pointing out that Arsenal had gone six games without scoring against their opponents, never mind picking up all three points! The Gunners well on course to achieving that, however, with Chelsea facing an almighty task in this second half.

46 min RESTART! We are back under way at the Emirates Stadium where, incredibly, Conte has decided against making any half-time alterations. Arsenal also unchanged, other than the enforced introduction of Xhaka early in the game, which is more understandable.


Michael Oliver blows for half time, with Arsenal holding a three-goal advantage over their London rivals. The Gunners have been superb for much of the opening 45 minutes, scoring twice inside 14 minutes and adding a third 41 minutes in, while Chelsea have been completely disorganised across the pitch.


45+3 min HALF TIME: ARSENAL 3-0 CHELSEA

45+1 min CLOSE! Willian delivers a free kick into the box, which Cech does not fully clear when opting to punch. It falls nicely to Hazard to blast on the volley, but his strike can only find the side-netting to the joy of the home fans.

44 min David Luiz is a little lucky to avoid a booking, perhaps getting sympathy from Michael Oliver following a dire first half from his side. Still a minute of the half to go, plus probably two minutes added on, for Arsenal to well and truly wrap things up.

42 min Ozil adds a third goal for Arsenal and surely wraps up the three points. It was another goal that Chelsea could have prevented, with possession being turned over with ease in midfield for Ozil and Sanchez to attack the visitors' two-man defence. Ozil played the ball to Sanchez, who in turn laid it off to his teammate who had peeled off at the back post to volley into the ground and into the net.

41 min GOAL! ARSENAL 3-0 CHELSEA (MESUT OZIL)

41 min Costa so nearly in behind the Arsenal backline, only for Koscielny to just about keep up with the Spaniard and throw his body to the ground to block the shot on goal. If Chelsea can pull one back now then we have a different game entirely on our hands.

39 min Arsenal taking Chelsea apart on a regular basis, which has left Conte with his hands on his head. The Italian will be fuming with some of the defending he has seen from his side, with this open feel to the match suiting the hosts more than their opponents.

37 min Just not happening for Chelsea at the moment, with Costa in particular being left frustrated. Three men cut out the Spaniard, leaving him to question the referee's decision to not award a free kick, but he was simply outmuscled on this occasion.

35 min A promising attack for Chelsea, with a cross coming into the box from the right-hand side, but Cech is there to collect before Costa can get his head to it. A calmer feel to the game over the past five minutes or so, yet it is still the hosts largely in control.

33 min ARSENAL SUB! A real blow for Coquelin, as he is unable to fully shake off that knock sustained a few minutes ago. A like-for-like replacement, with Granit Xhaka - a little unlucky not to start this evening - coming on.

31 min Sanchez takes on the free kick, which is headed over the bar by the Chelsea wall. Coquelin picked up a knock prior to that attempt but is now back on the field and seemingly OK to continue for the time being, reluctant to give up his shirt.

29 min YELLOW CARD! The first contentious moment of this match, as yet more quick interplay between Sanchez and Iwobi ends with Ivanovic bringing down the latter right on the edge of the box. Just a yellow from referee Michael Oliver, which did look to be the right call with Luiz across to cover.

27 min Good play from Chelsea over the past few minutes in attack but, yet again, their foray forward ends before a shot can be fired on target. Cech yet to make a single save, with Willian's dragged effort the closest the visitors have come.

25 min Bellerin blasts a shot from the edge of the box, coming after some fine play from Sanchez, but his attempt is well blocked by Cahill. The Gunners really up for this one, with two goals to their name already in the opening third of the match.

23 min SHOT! Chelsea's first real attacking move of the match ends with Willian firing across the face of Cech's goal. Arsenal will not want to let their opponents back into the game, and will instead look to continue attacking for a third.

21 min Chelsea are all over the place. Sanchez works space for a shot, which he drags across goal with Walcott screaming for the ball unmarked. Conte, famed for his ability to keep his players tight and compact, will be absolutely furious at the moment.

19 min Arsenal completely dominating this game in all areas, with their three shots on target ending with two goals. It is they who are looking the more likely to score a third, which will surely kill off the contest at this early stage.

17 min Real similarities to the early kickoff in the Premier League, as Arsenal score two goals in quick succession against their slack opponents. Expect even more at this rate, with Chelsea now forced to come out of their shells and commit players forward.

15 min A goal on his 100th appearance for Sanchez, and now a goal on outing number 350 for Theo Walcott in an Arsenal shirt. The opener was a gift but this was a well-worked team goal, with four of five quick-pace passes ending with Bellerin squaring for Walcott to tap the ball home from close range.

14 min GOAL! ARSENAL 2-0 CHELSEA (THEO WALCOTT)

13 min Alexis Sanchez is gifted a goal on his landmark 100th appearance for Arsenal - his first at the Emirates in six outings, and a 47th for the club overall. It was all down to a Gary Cahill howler, as the centre-back was caught in possession which allowed Sanchez to pounce and race clean through on goal, and he slotted past Courtois to punish the Englishman and put his side ahead.

12 min GOAL! ARSENAL 1-0 CHELSEA (ALEXIS SANCHEZ)

13 min Fabregas very lucky to avoid seeing yellow for a late challenge on Coquelin. Costa also takes a boot into the thigh from Mustafi, which again went unpunished in terms of a booking. Expect plenty more of that as this game goes on.

11 min Half a chance for Sanchez, as the ball falls nicely into his path inside the box after Walcott's run was well halted. His deflected shot goes wide for a corner, which the Gunners are unable to truly make the most of with 11 minutes gone.

9 min Azpilicueta sends a cross into the box for Matic to get on the end of, but the Serbian's first touch had too much on it and Arsenal could again clear. The Blues showing more attacking intent now compared to the opening few minutes in this match.

7 min Well despite getting every player back behind the ball, Chelsea will also look to attack as and when they can. Willian sent that free kick into the box, slightly over the head of Costa, and Arsenal were eventually able to clear their lines to quickly break forward.

5 min SAVE! Every Chelsea player now inside their own final third, forcing Cazorla to take on a shot from range which Courtois could only parry into the box. Thankfully for him a blue shirt was there to clear away, with Costa getting up the other end to win a free kick.

3 min The visitors sitting well off their opponents in these early stages, allowing Arsenal to come at them until entering the final third of the pitch. The Gunners have won an early corner which Courtois was able to collect with relative ease.

1 min KICKOFF! The 188th meeting between Arsenal and Chelsea is under way at the Emirates Stadium, with both sides targeting a win to close the gap on runaway leaders Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table.