Romelu Lukaku scored on his second debut for Chelsea to help the Blues secure a 2-0 victory over London rivals Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League clash.
The Belgium international joined Chelsea for a record club fee earlier this month and took just 15 minutes to open his account at close range at Emirates Stadium.
Reece James scored the goal and doubled his team’s lead before half-time as Thomas Tuchel’s men, who also hit the crossbar by a header from Lukaku, took a second straight win without conceding for start the campaign.
Arsenal’s only real opportunity was wasted by Rob Holding on the hour mark as Mikel Arteta’s side remain scoreless and scoreless after their first two games.
Arsenal had won their last three games against Chelsea in all competitions and had started this last meeting in the lead, but it was the Blues who took the lead in north London.
Lukaku held the ball, played in James behind Kieran Tierney in the lower right and converted from inside the six-yard penalty area when thrown by his teammate.
James went from creator to goalscorer 20 minutes later when he again started in plenty of space on the right to hit a shot past Bernd Leno at the end of a fluid movement.
Winger James was involved in a big incident shortly before half-time when Bukayo Saka was triggered, but VAR accepted referee Paul Tierney’s decision not to award a penalty.
Arsenal looked a bit livelier at the start of the second half as Edouard Mendy kept a deflected Saka shot and Holding sent a free header six yards away.
However, it was Chelsea who came closest to adding to the score thanks to a Lukaku header from seven yards that Leno brilliantly did to turn against the crossbar.
