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Rediff.com  » Sports » EPL PHOTOS: Chelsea beat Arsenal in scrappy London derby

EPL PHOTOS: Chelsea beat Arsenal in scrappy London derby

Last updated on: September 20, 2015 00:16 IST
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Kurt Zouma of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's first goal with his team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal

Chelsea's Kurt Zouma celebrates with his teammates after scoring his team's first goal against Arsenal during the English Premier League match at Stamford Bridge in London on Saturday. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images

Champions Chelsea beat 9-man Arsenal 2-0 in a heated match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Kurt Zouma and Eden Hazard scored the goals in an ill-tempered match that saw Diego Costa play central character, without adding constructively to the game.

Arsenal's Gabriel gets into a scuffle with Chelsea's Diego Costa

IMAGE: Arsenal's Gabriel gets into a scuffle with Chelsea's Diego Costa. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

The Chelsea striker wound up and got into a scuffle with Gabriel, who received a yellow and then a straight red -- in the space of a minute -- for stamping on the former, and late in the match, Santi Cazorla was shown the red card with a second booking for sliding in on former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas after 79 minutes.

Gabriel's dismissal came in the aftermath of a bust-up between Costa and Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny in the visitors' penalty area a minute earlier when Costa appeared to raise his arms and strike the Arsenal defender.

Arsenal's Santi Cazorla is shown a red card by referee Mike Dean

IMAGE: Arsenal's Santi Cazorla is shown a red card by referee Mike Dean. Photograph: Ian Walton/Getty Images

Cazorla was shown the red card after a rash challenge on Fabregas, whose fine free kick eight minutes into the second half was headed in by Zouma.

It was Zouma's first Premier League goal and, perhaps more significantly, he was in the team in place of skipper John Terry, who was not selected for a league match when he was fit for the first time by manager Jose Mourinho.

Chelsea's Gary Cahill is challenged by Arsenal's Theo Walcott

IMAGE: Chelsea's Gary Cahill is challenged by Arsenal's Theo Walcott. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Arsenal, who beat Mourinho's side 1-0 in the Community Shield at the beginning of August, made few clear cut chances of their own and have not beaten Chelsea in their last eight league matches and not scored against them in their last five.

The result lifted Chelsea from 17th into mid-table while Arsenal, who have had three players sent off this week following Olivier Giroud's dismissal against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, stayed fourth, at least until Saturday's later matches.

Stoke City's Marco van Ginkel and Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater compete for the ball during their English Premier League match at Britannia Stadium in Stoke on Trent, on Saturday

IMAGE: Stoke City's Marco van Ginkel and Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater compete for the ball during their English Premier League match at Britannia Stadium in Stoke on Trent, on Saturday. Photograph: Clint Hughes/Getty Images

In later matches, Leicester drew 2-2 at StokeCity.

But the point was a very welcome one for the Foxes who came back from 2-0 down for the second week running to avoid defeat.

Last week they came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and after trailing 2-0 to Stoke, a penalty from Ryad Mahrez and an equaliser from Jamie Vardy maintained Leicester's unbeaten start.

Stoke, who led 2-0 after 20 minutes with Bojan Krcic and Jon Walters scoring, are still winless after six games and are 18th with only three points.

 Watford's Odion Ighalo Newcastle United's Jack Colback get into a tangle as they vie for possession during their Premier League match at St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, on Saturday

IMAGE: Watford's Odion Ighalo Newcastle United's Jack Colback get into a tangle as they vie for possession during their Premier League match at St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne, on Saturday. Photograph: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images

Newcastle United are also still winless and 19th after losing 2-1 at home to Watford whose goals came from Odion Ighalo.

Daryl Janmaat pulled one back for Newcastle after 62 minutes but Steve McClaren's side were booed off by their long-suffering fans at the end.

Just about the only thing bringing a smile to Geordie faces right now is that their arch-rivals Sunderland are one place below them in bottom place.

Sunderland, who like Newcastle only have two points, were beaten 2-0 at another of the promoted sides, Bournemouth, where goals from Callum Wilson and Matt Ritchie secured the Cherries first home win of the season.

Sunderland's misery was completed when defender Younes Kaboul was sent off for a second yellow late in the game.

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