http://d.yimg.com/i/ng/sp/empics/20091129/16/2967362132-soccer-barclays-premier-league-arsenal-v-chelsea-emirates-stadium.jpgSame old story, really.

Arsenal with all the football and Chelsea – through Drogba – with the devastating sucker-punch.

Today’s visitors finished off this contest in similar fashion to how Arsenal tamed Tottenham on last derby day.

Despite being on the front foot for much of the match, quick-fire goals at the end of the first-half settled matters way before Wenger’s men could even mount an assault on goal.

Drogba was back to haunt the Gunners yet again with the opener on the stroke of half-time and before the hosts could pick up the pieces, Vermaelen unwittingly added more trouble with an own goal.

Arsenal huffed and puffed for an unlikely comeback following the restart but the old foe was always there to add insult to the wound – netting a humiliating free-kick late on for Chelsea’s third.

Barring the horror week back in May where United and this same Chelsea side won ruthlessly in North London, you could confess today that never before had Arsenal’s shortcomings been exposed so plainly at the Emirates Stadium.

Their physical presence proved inferior to Chelsea’s, their back line naive on the odd occasion and in the end, only pretty patterns were to show for dominant ball-possession.

Arsenal had been bullied and thus, as Wenger made his long trip back into the dressing room at full-time, Friday’s most fired-up man pondered how the opinions of critics are soon growing into facts.

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