Three things we learnt from Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal

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Chelsea maintained their nine-point advantage at the summit of the Premier League with a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Marcos Alonso, Eden Hazard, and Cesc Fabregas – against his former club – ensured the destiny of the points before Olivier Giroud netted a consolation goal in stoppage time for the visitors. Antonio Conte’s men are now 12 points clear of their fierce rivals, who are surely out of title contention in light of this defeat, their second in five days. Here are three things we have learnt from Chelsea’s latest triumph.

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Chelsea’s stranglehold on the trophy is even tighter

The Blues have been the most impressive team in the Premier League this season and many observers had already hailed them as champions-elect even before this weekend. But had they lost to Arsenal, their lead at the top would have been slashed to six points – certainly not insurmountable with 14 matches still to play. The result never looked in doubt, however, once Alonso had headed Chelsea into a 13th-minute lead. Arsenal, of course, beat the Blues in the reverse fixture, but they were unable to cope with their opponents’ flair and cutting edge. Can anybody stop them? It certainly does not look that way. The fixtures against Liverpool and Arsenal were always going to be key and Conte will be absolutely delighted to have taken four points out of a possible six, which has helped to maintain a comfortable cushion. They can even afford a slip-up or two between now and the end of the campaign. But who would bet against them finishing in style and winning the title by a record margin?