Arsenal's Premier League title hopes were dealt a massive blow on Saturday as they were thrashed 6-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Samuel Eto'o fired the hosts into an early lead, and Andre Schurrle made it 2-0 just minutes later.

A controversial moment came on 17 minutes as Kieran Gibbs was mistakenly sent off for handling on the line when it was Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who had committed the offence. Eden Hazard took the resulting penalty and made it 3-0.

Chelsea scored again through Oscar three minutes before half time, while the Brazilian and Mohamed Salah completed the rout after the break.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the London rivals.

Match statistics

Chelsea
Shots: 21
On target: 11
Possession: 53%
Corners: 7
Fouls: 14

Arsenal
Shots: 12
On target: 5
Possession: 47%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 8

Was the result fair?

Without question. This was as comprehensive a mauling as you are likely to see this season, with Chelsea deservedly coming out on top against a woeful Arsenal side.

Chelsea's performance

The reality is that Jose Mourinho's team did not have to get out of second gear on what was a satisfying afternoon for the Blues. At times is was as if the hosts were taking part in a training session as they knocked the ball around with the kind of relaxed air that is usually reserved for their kickabouts at Cobham. That said, they still did plenty of things right such as their clinical finishing in front of goal and their overall professionalism. They needed a response following last weekend's defeat at Aston Villa and they got it in emphatic style.

Arsenal's performance

Forget the sending-off, this was simply a shocking display from the Gunners. They struggled to keep up with Chelsea from the first whistle and were duly punished by conceding two quick goals. That set the tone for the rest of the afternoon before they went down to 10 men. They failed to get out of their own half after that as Chelsea dominated at every opportunity. There was a slight improvement in the second period, although not enough to see them cause the hosts too many problems. On a day that was meant to be a celebration of Arsene Wenger's longevity and enduring impact on English football, his players instead served up a turgid performance that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Andre Schurrle: The German provided a relentless attacking presence for Chelsea, going at Arsenal with pace, power and aggression whenever he could. Not only that, but he also showed great technique to put them 2-0 up when he fired past the helpless Wojciech Szczesny.

Biggest gaffe

There are sure to be huge questions as to why Andre Marriner sent off Kieran Gibbs instead of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the build-up to Chelsea's third goal. Oxlade-Chamberlain even told Marriner that it was him who handled the ball, but the official was having none of it. Cases of mistaken identity have happened in football before, but it took a special sort of ineptitude to get this one wrong.

Referee performance

The penalty incident aside, Andre Marriner's display was nothing out of the ordinary. It is just a shame that he has tarnished his reputation with one bizarre moment. It is unlikely that the official will be given a Premier League game next weekend as a result.

What next?

Chelsea: The Blues continue their quest for the Premier League title next Saturday with another London derby at Crystal Palace.

Arsenal: The Gunners return to Premier League action on Tuesday as Swansea City visit the Emirates Stadium.