Arsenal 0-2 Chelsea: 5 Talking Points as Romelu Lukaku-inspired Chelsea silence the Emirates | Premier League 2021-22

Chelsea won most of their key battles on the pitch as the champions of Europe won 2-0 at the home of their London rivals Arsenal. Goals from Romelu Lukaku and Reece James early in the first half were enough to secure all three points for the visitors in a Matchday-2 Premier League game.

The arrival of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan meant that Thomas Tuchel could start with his record-breaking signing at the Emirates. The Belgian striker was brilliant on the night, not only in attacking Bernd Leno's goal but also in involving his teammates, thanks to his trademark hold-up play.

But the Man of the Match was surely right wing-back Reece James. He assisted Lukaku's first goal and then scored Chelsea's second twenty minutes later while also terrorising Kieran Tierney on the right-wing all night.

Though Arsenal put up an inspired display at the start of the second half, Chelsea closed down the game after taking a two-goal lead. Arsenal's substitutes couldn't make much of an impact as Mikel Arteta's men came up second best on the night.

On that note, here's a look at the top five talking points of the game as Chelsea eased past their cross-town rivals to go top of the Premier League table.

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#1 Romelu Lukaku's hold-up play terrorises the Arsenal defence

Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea celebrates after scoring Chelsea's first goal.

When asked about his tremendous goalscoring form for Inter Milan, Romelu Lukaku was all praise for former coach Antonio Conte.

"For the first month, the gaffer had me training with my back facing the goal," said Lukaku.

Conte had earlier tried to sign the Belgian for Chelsea, but had to settle for Alvaro Morata. But with his wish getting granted at Inter, Conte knew he had to exploit Lukaku's hold-up playing qualities.

That was evident on Sunday night. The new Chelsea forward terrorised the Gunners' backline through his ability to hold the ball with his back towards goal, while his teammates covered the ground in wider positions. It was this attribute that led to him scoring his first goal within 15 minutes of his return to England.

The big mistake Arsenal defenders made during this period was giving Lukaku a turn with the ball, something that cost the Gunners at least one goal on the night.

The absence of new signing Ben White also made sure the red half of London were without their best back-four. But with Lukaku in such form, it is difficult to believe the result could have been anything else.

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#2 Chelsea exploit Arsenal's inefficiency on the left wing

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka put up a dismal show on the night.

The tactic Mikel Arteta got wrong on the night was the space on the left wing between Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney. Chelsea right-back Reece James made Arsenal pay for it every time he received the ball on the touchline, or even in the half-spaces. The young English wing-back also scored his much-deserved goal by capitalising on the same.

Saka often failed to track back during a Chelsea counter, which left Tierney one-on-one with James and Cesar Azpilicueta lurking in the overlap. That was too much of an overload for the Scottish defender, and the Blues were able to double their lead on the night.

Moreover, during Arsenal's transition, Tierney also made overlapping runs on the wing, which left the defence quite open when the hosts lost the ball in the final third. Tuchel's men were quick to exploit the void left open by the two wide Arsenal players, and they did that very proficiently.

#3 Poor midfield display overshadowed by world-class Chelsea backline

Emile Smith Rowe runs with the ball while under pressure from Mateo Kovacic.

The second half against Chelsea saw a much better display from Arsenal. Quick one-twos and the speed of passing in the middle third meant the home side were able to bypass Chelsea's midfield with ease. Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho almost looked lost several times in the second half, as Arsenal exploited their deficiencies.

But Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta were a brick wall for the entire ninety minutes, as they hardly lost a duel all game. Add that to Edouard Mendy's excellent reflexes as well as coming off the line during key moments, and Chelsea looked convincingly like European champions.

What is difficult to believe is that this Blues' camp also consists of Thiago Silva, Trevor Chalobah and Kurt Zouma warming the bench. The squad depth Chelsea have got in their ranks is unreal and could serve them for a while without significant upgrades.

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#4 Lack of a target man the difference between Arsenal and Chelsea

Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea battles for possession with Pablo Mari.

For the past decade now, most Premier League games have been won or lost on small margins. That was no different at the Emirates on Sunday, but a crucial deficiency literally handed the game on a platter for Chelsea. Arsenal lacked a focal point or in technical lingo, a target man, when they took on the Champions League winners at home.

While Lukaku maintained his position as Chelsea's reference point in the opposition half, Gabriel Martinelli was a lonely figure around the Chelsea backline. In fact, the young Brazilian striker did not have a single touch of the ball until the 19th minute.

It was clearly a case of men against boys as the Chelsea back-three positioned themselves intelligently. That hardly provided Martinelli with any space to run into or receive a progressive pass. The youngster struggled for the entire game, and was almost invisible for large swathes.

They strengthened their squad this season by becoming the heaviest spenders in the Premier League. But the Gunners seem to lack an influential figure in the final third, who can decide games single-handedly.

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#5 Thomas Tuchel's tactics are spot on

Thomas Tuchel shakes hands with Mikel Arteta after the game.

The game ended with commentators mentioning Thomas Tuchel's enviable record as Chelsea boss since coming on in the middle of the previous season. Replacing Frank Lampard at the Bridge, Tuchel has been a revelation for the London-based club, as no other team except Manchester City have won more points than Chelsea after the German has come on.

More importantly, most English top-flight teams are almost clueless about how they should play against Tuchel's well-organised team, which is brimming with quality. With central midfielders closely placed near the centre-halves, wing-backs underlapping or overlapping almost constantly and a potent front three - it seems increasingly difficult to crack the Tuchel code.

An away trip to Anfield looms next for Thomas Tuchel's men. Meanwhile, Arsenal will travel to Manchester City, and might return empty-handed, given their insipid performance against Chelsea.