Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3: Didier Drogba's Double Widens Gap on Gunners

Chelsea needed only four minutes shortly before half time to strengthen their grip on top spot in the Premier League.

Didier Drogba made the breakthrough in the 41st minute when he sidefooted Ashley Cole's cross inside the angle of bar and post.

And it was swiftly followed by a carbon copy own goal from Thomas Vermaelen, who steered another Cole cross into the same area.

Arsenal, enjoyed the bulk of the possession before and after those goals, but lacked a cutting edge and never looked equipped to locate a route back into the game once a 48th minute goal from Andrei Arshavin was disallowed.

Drogba finally ended their fading resistance in the 86th minute when he powered in a free kick from 25 yards, leaving Arsenal in fourth place and 11 points adrift of Chelsea, who have not conceded a goal in five league games.

Arsenal do have a game in hand, but - on this powerful evidence - their chances of closing the gap on their London rivals are slim, if not non-existent.

REACTION:
Wenger was convinced referee Andre Marriner made a crucial error when he disallowed Arshavin's goal early in the second half.

That would have made the score 2-1 and the Frenchman was convinced Eduardo had been harshly punished for a challenge on goalkeeper Petr Cech.

He said: "The score is a very unfair reflection of the game but it is the score an we cannot change it now. Their first shot on goal they scored, the second cross they scored.

"Ir it was a turning point by the referee. I personally believe it was not a serious decision. It was very unfair. How can he see Eduardo kicking Cech when it's a Chelsea player who stops him from controlling the ball?

"The 2-1 was very important goal in this kind of game. It was a big mistake by the referee."

Wenger refused to give up on the title however despite Chelsea's huge lead. He said: "I don't think it is all over. We are fighters and we will show that in our next game."

The Frenchman also insisted it was untrue Chelsea had been physically superior. He said: "They are physically strong players yes, but it's too easy to have that impression. I don't share that point of view. They made many mistakes today but we couldn't take advantage."

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti reckoned Wenger's gripe about the disallowed goal was merely sour grapes.

He said: "They are upset because they lost. It was a foul on Petr Cech."

The Italian praised his players for a good all round performance but believed the game had been won in midfield.

He said: "It was a very good performance. We did a fantastic job. All the players worked for the team. In midfield we won the game.

"Arsenal kept the ball in the first half but we didn't concede. We did very good counter attacks and scored two goals.

"Strength is a quality of this team and if possible we have to use it. This team has a lot of quality.

"We had to use intelligence in defence too. Arsenal put a lot of players in our midfield and sometimes they lost the balance."

The title is Chelsea's to lose now but Ancelotti remained cautious. He said: "I would like to think we can stay at the top of the table but it is important we continue to play like today."

QUOTABLE:
"We can win every game but, if we don't have concentration and determination, we could lose games."
- Ancelotti rather states the obvious, but they look more like winning than losing at the moment.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Chelsea's disciplined approach was complemented by incisive work inside the final third that was beyond Arsenal. Chelsea dealt almost contemptuously with unconvincing pressure from Arsenal for long periods before punishing them twice in quick succession. The appearance of Theo Walcott at the start of the second half offered a threat to their lead, but Chelsea stayed organised and, in truth, were rarely in trouble after the goal from Arshavin was disallowed. Drogba's second goal siumply underlined their superiority.

WHAT IT MEANS:
It would be insulting Wenger's managerial qualities to suggest that Arsenal's pursuit of the championship is now doomed, but Arsenal will certainly find it difficult to catch Chelsea and must start to be concerned about holding on to a top four place. Meanwhile, the odds on Chelsea winning the league have shortened even further. This was a thoroughly professional display and showed no weaknesses. Even Manchester United will be concerned.

ARSENAL 0 CHELSEA 3 (Drogba 41, 86 Vermaelen 45 og)

PLAYER MARKING
Arsenal (4-3-3): Almunia 6; Sagna 5, Gallas 5, Vermaelen 5, Traore 6; Fabregas 5, Song 5 (Walcott 46,7), Denilson 6; Nasri 5 (Rosicky ,66 ,6), Eduardo 5 (Vela 57,6), Arshavin 5.
Substitutes (not used): Fabianski, Ramsey, Silvestre, Eboue

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech 6; Ivanovic 6, Carvalho 6, Terry 7, A Cole 8 (Paulo Ferreira 72,5); Mikel 6; Essien 6, Lampard 5; Joe Cole 7 (Deco 68); Anelka 6, Drogba 9 (Malouda 90,5).
Substitutes (not used): Hilario, Ballack, Zhirkov, Kalou.

ATTENDANCE: 60,607

NEXT UP:
- Arsenal v Manchester City (Away) Carling Cup. 2/12, 1945 GMT
- Chelsea v Blackburn Rovers (Away) 2/12, 2000 GMT

MAN OF THE MATCH:
Didier Drogba (Chelsea): The striker has now scored 10 goals in 11 games against Arsenal and produced two superb examples of his finishing ability to illustrate why he is one of the top goalscorers in the world at the moment. Others contributed a lot to the Chelsea performance, but he was the man who proved to be the big difference between the two teams.