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Chelsea and Arsenal played out a 0-0 draw in their Premier League match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in a tense encounter that eventually finished with just 21 men on the pitch. David Luiz was sent off with five minutes to go after a reckless challenge on Sead Kolasinac but the Gunners simply did not have enough time to make the man-advantage count.
Both sides had their chances and Arsenal even had a goal ruled out for offside. Here are the major talking points from the game.
1) Arsenal dominate Chelsea in the first half
Without Alexis Sanchez in the starting lineup and Mesut Ozil not named in the matchday squad altogether, Arsene Wenger named a very mobile attacking lineup that would do its job off the ball too. Alex Iwobi and Danny Welbeck started just behind Alexandre Lacazette and their dropping deep gave the Gunners passing options in midfield.
In doing so, the visitors were able to get in behind N'Golo Kante and Cesc Fabregas on a regular basis. It forced Chelsea to drop back and play on the counter-attack as Arsenal's back-line pushed up field and played a high line.
Unlike previous Arsenal performances, the players made themselves available for a pass and Arsenal's quick one-touch-passing of old was on display.
The result? Welbeck had a header go wide, Lacazette saw his effort on goal blocked while Ramsey danced through the entire defence only to see his shot hit the post. The signs looked promising.
2) Dangerous play debate crops up yet again
David Luiz was booked a few minutes into the second half when he tried to go for an overhead kick as the ball looped in the air in Arsenal's box. Unfortunately, instead of kicking the ball, he only ended up making contact with Laurent Koscielny as the French defender went to ground clutching his face.
Just a week after Liverpool's Sadio Mane was sent off for kicking Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson in the face, many expected a similar punishment here.
While Koscielny was alright and just a bit shaken up, referee Michael Oliver deemed it dangerous play and produced a yellow card for the Chelsea defender.
In Mane's case, he may or may not have seen Ederson also sprinting forward for the 50/50 ball. But Luiz had no idea Koscielny was anywhere near him - although one could argue that it was attempted in a very crowded box.
However, Luiz had every right to go for the shot and the last thing we want to see in football is overhead kicks being outlawed.
3) Conte attempts to wrest control of midfield in the second half
With Chelsea's midfield getting completely overrun in the first half, Antonio Conte decide to switch things in the second half. Pedro had taken a knock in the first 45 and the Spaniard became the sacrificial lamb, making way for Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Almost immediately the Blues looked sharper. With Bakayoko and Kante in the base of Chelsea's midfield, Arsenal's attacks through the middle fizzled out.
But after Eden Hazard was introduced with 20 minutes to go, Chelsea settled into a 3-5-1-1 with Cesc Fabregas playing the deepest among the three midfielders. This was done so both Kante and Bakayoko could pressurise Arsenal in their own half.
It resulted in a very scrappy game in the second half with both sides forcing turnovers. Possession changed hands a number of times while the number of fouls also increased dramatically with players running into each other quite often because the middle of the pitch was very crowded.
4) Morata and Lacazette kept in check
Before the game, this was billed as a battle between the two summer signings leading the line. Alvaro Morata and Alexandre Lacazette - both record signings for Chelsea and Arsenal respectively and both number 9s - had relatively quiet games.
Morata has his battles with Shkodran Mustafi and did give the German defender a tough time. However, the Spanish striker simply wasn't able to get in behind him to get a clear shot on goal.
The former Real Madrid man failed to muster a single shot on target and Chelsea clearly missed someone like Diego Costa who has got the better of Arsenal a number of times in previous seasons with his tenacity and physicality.
On the other hand, Lacazette was kept on a tight leash by David Luiz who did a commendable job of denying the Frenchman any space to work with. The former Lyon striker had only two shots - one that was straight at Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle while the other was a skewed effort from a rebound.
It came as no surprise when his number was flashed on the board when Wenger decided to bring on Alexis Sanchez in the second half.
Side note: Luiz would have been a candidate for the Man of the Match too for his defensive performance if not for the straight red card for a reckless tackle on Sead Kolasinac that had the potential to severely damage the wing-back's ankle.
It's also the third consecutive game in which a Chelsea player has been sent off against Arsenal after Victor Moses in the FA Cup final and Pedro in the Community Shield.
5) Ramsey liberated in Ozil's absence
The last time Arsenal had come away with all three points at Stamford Bridge was in 2011 when they won 5-3. Robin van Persie had grabbed a hat-trick but Ramsey had also put in a good performance under pressure following the departure of Fabregas.
Today, he had his chance to play in a similar position with Ozil missing out, albeit in a free role where his engine allowed him to attack and track back in equal measure. As a result, the Welsh midfielder had a superb first half and was the standout performer of the half.
With Alex Iwobi having a better game combining with Bellerin out wide on the flank, Ramsey dominated the midfield channels. One particular moment saw him skip past three challenges before getting a shot off to beat Courtois - only to see his effort come off the post.
The second half saw his impact reduced following the introduction of Bakayoko and Kante pressing high up the pitch but no player really shone through after the break. As the game petered down, the official 'Man of the Match' was announced and there was no doubt that it was Ramsey.
