Premier League 2018-19: 3 reasons why Arsenal won 2-0 against Chelsea 

Saturday night's North London Derby between Arsenal and Chelsea saw the hosts secure a comfortable 2-0 win over an abject Chelsea side. The win saw Unai Emery's side reduce the gap between fourth and fifth spot to just three points, setting up an exciting race for the fourth spot.

The Gunners started off with great intent and almost took the lead through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the fourth minute. Their positive approach saw them take the lead through Alexander Lacazette in the 14th minute as the Frenchman lashed a powerful shot from close range to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga on his near post.

Arsenal doubled their lead six minutes from half time through Laurent Koscielny after his attempted header beat a rooted Kepa. The second half was a relatively low key affair in which Chelsea enjoyed a major share of possession, but could not create clear cut chances to test Bernd Leno. Arsenal defended valiantly and secured a well deserved three points over their rivals.

On that note, let us take a look at the three reasons why Arsenal won against Chelsea.

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#3 Arsenal's positive start lay the foundation for a well-deserved win

Arsenal's positive start helped them take an unassailable lead in the first half

Unai Emery made three changes from the side that suffered a 0-1 loss against West Ham in the previous game week, with Lucas Torreira, Hector Bellerin, and Aaron Ramsey replacing Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Shkodran Mustafi, and Alex Iwobi respectively.

Right from kickoff, Arsenal heaped pressure on Chelsea, forcing Jorginho to concede possession in the early minutes which led to a Ramsey half chance. Arsenal's midfield was disciplined from the beginning and did not allow the likes of Kovacic and Kante to control the tempo.

On the other hand, Chelsea looked shaky at the back, which saw Lacazette and Aubameyang find lots of space to exploit. The strikers made some brilliant runs behind the Chelsea defence which resulted in Arsenal having their first clear chance in the fourth minute when Aubameyang failed to score from Lacazette's pass.

Arsenal stifled Chelsea's advances and were rewarded for their positive approach when Alexandre Lacazette gave his side the lead in the 14th minute after smashing home from close range. After the restart, Chelsea had a brief spell of possession where they looked dangerous but were dealt with well by Arsenal's sturdy defense.

Overall, Arsenal punished Chelsea for being sloppy and starting on a positive note helped them lay the foundation for a well-deserved win over their rivals.

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#2 An improved defensive display saw Arsenal emerge victorious against Chelsea

Koscielny was exceptional against Chelsea

An improved defensive display from The Gunners saw them emerge victorious against a toothless Chelsea side. Arsenal manager Unai Emery made a tactical tweak at the back as he changed from a back three (from the defeat to West Ham) to a back four comprising of Bellerin, Sokratis, Koscielny, and Kolasinac.

Often criticized for being weak at the back, Arsenal's rearguard put in an outstanding performance against a good Chelsea side. Arsenal centre-backs stepped up against Chelsea and thwarted The Blues by making a number of interceptions in key areas of the pitch.

Both Koscielny and Sokratis had a great game and the duo kept the likes of Hazard, Willian and Pedro quiet throughout the game. In a Man of the Match performance, Koscielny ended the game with an 84% pass accuracy rate, made three recoveries, and three interceptions. To top it all, the Frenchman scored the all-important second goal in the 39th minute.

Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac impressed at full back and were equally good in attack and defense. Bellerin assisted Lacazette for Arsenal's first goal and also marshaled the likes of Marcos Alonso and Willian to great effect.

On the left, Kolasinac showed some great composure while dealing with Pedro and Azpilicueta and proved to be a constant threat while going forward. All in all, it was a much-improved performance from Arsenal's rearguard.

#1 Discipline and organization key in Arsenal's win over The Blues

An organized approach helped Arsenal secure win over The Blues

Arsenal emerged victorious against Chelsea due to their outstanding organization in midfield and discipline at the back. The midfield trio of Guendouzi, Xhaka, and Torreira played an important role in cutting out all passing lanes which resulted in Chelsea's midfield having little joy in the middle of the park.

Arsenal's high press caught Chelsea off guard and fearless performances from Guendouzi, Xhaka, and Torreira prevented Chelsea from taking control of the game. Operating as the holding midfielder, Lucas Torreira won 12 duels and completed 6/9 tackles. The Uruguayan made four recoveries and used his vast expanse of energy to great effect. He also made a number of vital interceptions and made some smart fouls to stop Chelsea from gaining momentum while on the attack.

Along with Guendouzi, Torreira kept a check on Kante and Jorginho and their relentless pressing saw the opposition midfielders rush their passes and lose possession on countless occasions. Xhaka started off shakily but grew in stature as the game progressed, spraying out some beautiful passes to the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette.

Another highlight from the game was the work rate exhibited by Aubameyang and Lacazette. There were a number of occasions where both strikers dropped deep and regained possession with some well-timed tackles on N'Golo Kante.

This highlighted the willingness of the forwards to help out defensively, which ultimately resulted in Chelsea having no joy against a resolute Arsenal side. It was an impressive performance from The Gunners who outplayed Chelsea in all three areas of the pitch.