Late Alonso goal gives Chelsea victory

Chelsea 3 Arsenal 2

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Marcos Alonso’s goal 10 minutes from time gave Chelsea victory in a pulsating London derby.

Early goals from Pedro and Alvaro Morata gave them the perfect start to boss Maurizio Sarri’s first home Premier League game.

Arsenal stormed back and were level by half-time courtesy of goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alex Iwobi.

As the Gunners continued to threaten in the second half, Sarri made a double substitution on the hour mark, bringing on Eden Hazard and recent signing Mateo Kovacic for his debut.

And Hazard set up the winner, breezing past Alexandre Lacazette on the left and crossing low for Alonso to fire home.

Alonso had set up Chelsea’s ninth-minute opener, racing onto Jorginho’s clever pass and squaring the ball for Pedro to score with ease.

Arsenal responded and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was denied by a near-post save from keeper Kepa and then, a minute before Chelsea doubled their lead, squandered a glorious chance to haul Arsenal level.

Matteo Guendouzi opened Chelsea’s defence with a clever pass out to Hector Bellerin, whose right-wing cross perfectly teed up Aubameyang only for the striker to side-foot over.

It proved to be a costly miss for the Gunners, who were undone again when Morata chased Cesar Azpilicueta’s ball forward, got the better of Shkodran Mustafi and slotted past former Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.

Arsenal then missed another sitter, this time when Mkhitaryan blazed over after being set up by Iwobi.

But the Armenian atoned with a low, left-footed shot from near the edge of the penalty area after Willian had been dispossessed inside the Chelsea half.

Mkhitaryan then turned provider, finding space on the right and sending in a low cross for Iwobi to blast home.

Incredibly, Iwobi missed another great chance for Arsenal in first-half injury time when he fired over after being teed up by Mkhitaryan’s pull-back from the right.

And Arsenal were made to rue those misses when Alonso struck late to give Chelsea the points.