LONDON -- Chelsea and Arsenal played out a tight, tense 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the Gunners hit the post in the first half through Aaron Ramsey but couldn’t break through.
[ MORE: Wenger, Arsenal win battle ]
Arsenal nullified the threat of Chelsea’s counter attacks for large periods of the game with the reigning champions left frustrated as David Luiz was sent off late on for a lunging tackle on Sead Kolasinac.
[ VIDEO: Premier League highlights ]
Here’s a look at what we learned from an even, eventful London derby.
SANCHEZ, HAZARD RUSTY
0-0 with 25 minutes to go, Antonio Conte and Arsene Wenger both reached to the bench to unleash their best players.
Alexis Sanchez came on for Arsenal and moments later Eden Hazard arrived.
Both were on the bench as they continued their recovery to full fitness with Hazard coming off a long-term ankle injury and Sanchez perhaps recovering from a broken heart after his deadline day move to Manchester City collapsed.
Apart from a run and shot straight at Petr Cech, Hazard didn’t get involved in the final third for Chelsea as a few runs from deep barely threatened Arsenal.
Sanchez was equally non-existent as the Chilean sauntered around the left wing role and apart from one majestic back heel he gave the ball away cheaply and looked like a man who was without a preseason to his name.
Two of the biggest stars in the Premier League are yet to get up and running.
Each team playing their ace-in-the-hole ♣️♥️♠️♦️#CHEARS#PLonNBC pic.twitter.com/lbsHUt2g3Z
— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) September 17, 2017
MORATA LOSES BATTLE WITH MUSTAFI
With three goals and two assists, all with his head, in the Premier League so far this season, Alvaro Morata is Chelsea’s new main man up top.
He could’ve done with emulating the Spanish international striker he has replaced at Chelsea with Diego Costa often relishing his battles against Arsenal center backs and often coming out on top.
0 - Chelsea failed to score in a competitive home match under Antonio Conte for the first time (27 games). Stalemate. pic.twitter.com/fH8dDubjNK
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 17, 2017
Morata did not with Shkodran Mustafi having an exceptional game at center back (he also had a header chalked out, correctly, for offside) to deny him chances and service. Morata looked isolated up top and with Cesc Fabregas moved closer to him for the second half to try and supply him with some chances, it didn’t work.
After a very good start to life at Chelsea and his aerial ability admirable, Morata proved he still has to adjust to the rigors of the Premier League.
SOLID, SOLID ARSENAL
Much has been made of Arsenal’s defensive solidity since switching to a 3-4-3 formation and this game proved that away from home against a title contender it works.
After switching to a 3-4-3 last season, Arsenal’s expected goals conceded actually rose from 1.2 per game to 1.7 and after conceding eight goals in their opening three Premier League games this season it seemed like the 3-4-3 could be ditched.
Even though Arsenal still haven’t won a Premier League match away from home against a side that finished in the top six the previous season since January 2015 (a 2-0 victory at Man City) -- with an 0-8-6 record -- the 3-4-3 formation allowed them to recover well at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea launched counters.
The pace of Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac helped Arsenal recover quickly when Willian and Pedro launched counters which usually pull opposition defenses apart.
Arsenal’s attacking unit wasn’t firing on all cylinders but defensively they were solid and after losing their last five games on the spin at Chelsea in the PL, a draw in a game which they controlled for large spells will do just fine.