first half: He did so not only in the opening goal, but also before James 2-0 (min 35) when Lukaku caught the attention of Arsenal’s defenders, creating space on the right that James, who was held off by Mason Mount, took advantage of a gritty conclusion. Lukaku’s presence and running without the ball allowed Chelsea to finish their attacks in a much more determined and dangerous manner than inexperienced Gunners. “He knows how to play the game,” Tuchel justified his new star lineup. No one doubted it at the break at the latest.

Lucky mushrooms from our cultivation: Rhys James is allowed every day to wear the Chelsea shirt and it’s a lucky day for the 21-year-old right-back. James is from London and has been part of the club since he was six years old. The fact that he ripped the coat of arms into his shirt emotionally when he scored to make the 2-0 score was more than a gesture. Two goals in the derby made the match a holiday for the national player – then referee Paul Tierney also decided not to penalize James’ entry against Bukayo Saka in his penalty area (41).

the other half: After the break, the game is more balanced and the pace more challenging. Arsenal made his way into the match and had a good chance with Saka’s skewed flutter ball (52) and Rob Holding’s header attempt (60). These opportunities were insufficient for the necessary momentum as the replacement of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (61). Instead, Chelsea were closer to 3-0 in the latter stages than Arsenal were closer to contact: only Bernd Leno was able to stand out, first hitting Lukaku’s header against the crossbar at Arsenal (77) and later saving him. At close range against Havertz (87.).

And competition?: In the title fight, Chelsea continues to get hurt. The same applies to Tottenham Hotspur: on the return of star striker Harry Kane, who was replaced by applause after an extended special holiday in the final stage, the north London team defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers with a penalty kick from Dele Alli (tenth). ) 1-0 (1:0). On the other hand, Manchester United suffered a setback in Southampton: a unique goal (30) was only able to equalize Mason Greenwood (55) to 1:1 (0:1).