Arsenal v Chelsea player ratings: Pepe 7, Saka 4; Lukaku 9, James 9

Lukaku left a lasting impression as Chelsea dominated at the Emirates Stadium

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  ARSENAL RATINGS: Bernd Leno – 7. Kept his side in with a glimmer of hope with one stunning save from a Lukaku header in the second half. Little chance with the goals. Reuters

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  Cedric Soares – 5. The attacks might not as been as frequent as on the other flank, but he still had his work cut out dealing with Alonso and Havertz. Getty

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  Rob Holding – 5. Booked for a desperate lunge at Alonso, headed wide when he should have scored, and had a torrid day in defence. AFP

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  Pablo Mari – 4. Ragdolled by Lukaku for the opening goal. Booked for a tackle behind on the same player. Such a difficult afternoon.

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  Kieran Tierney – 6. All effort, but looked exhausted after half an hour of having to cope with James and Mount with little assistance. AP

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  Albert Sambi Lokonga – 6. A sweet early crossfield pass to Tierney suggested a bright afternoon, but the going was tough from then on. Booked for a foul on compatriot Lukaku. Reuters

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  Granit Xhaka – 5. His first involvement was to get whacked in the face by a James shot. Played the rest of the game like a bear with a sore head.

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  Bukayo Saka – 4. Too often not precise enough with either his positioning or his touch, and looked way short of fitness. Withdrawn on the hour. EPA

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  Emile Smith Rowe – 6. Had the odd bright moment, but found his way to goal blocked, and looked tired and dejected by the end. Reuters

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  Nicolas Pepe – 7. Looked in the mood with a surging run early on, and his effort rarely dimmed. The brightest of the home side’s forwards. Getty

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  Gabriel Martinelli – 5. Seemed miscast as the centre forward, as he was offside any time he got near influencing the play. Moved deeper with the introduction of Aubameyang, but limped off. Getty

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  SUBS: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6. At least gave Arsenal a reference point in attack after he came on for Saka, although it hardly led to much of a threat. Reuters

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  Nuno Tavares – N/A. On for the injured Tierney. Leant some energy to the attack from left back as the hosts tried vainly to chase the game late on. Getty

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  Folarin Balogun – N/A. Little chance to impress after his late introduction. Getty

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  CHELSEA RATINGS: Edouard Mendy – 7. Showed poise with the ball at his feet in the rain, tipped over a drive by Saka acrobatically, and swept up astutely to thwart Aubameyang. EPA

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  Andreas Christensen – 7. The fact that the Dane is so often anonymous in games is testament to his tidiness at the back. No alarms, no trouble. Getty

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  Antonio Rudiger – 7. Snubbed out a rare chance for Martinelli, and generally patrolled the backline smartly. Getty

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  Cesar Azpilicueta – 7. Tenacious as standard, with his standout moment being a courageous last-ditch block to stop a Smith Rowe shot. Getty

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  Reece James – 9. Laid the opener on a plate for Lukaku, and threatening whenever he was in a crossing position. Richly deserved his goal. Reuters

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  Jorginho – 6. Not quite the influence he so often is, but he did not need to be given Chelsea’s overwhelming dominance. EPA

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  Mateo Kovacic – 7. Laid the platform for Chelsea’s fine attacking display with his industry and economical use of the ball. Getty

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  Marcos Alonso – 7. Overshadowed by James on the other flank, although he clearly enjoyed his afternoon, too – evidenced by one flashy backheel. Getty

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  Mason Mount – 7. Potent alliance with James, and some sharp dribbling on the other flank, too, added up to a fine display.

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  Kai Havertz – 8. Plenty of exquisite touches, most notably the one that started the move that led to James’ goal. EPA

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  Romelu Lukaku – 9. Did not have to be a £97 million striker to score the tap in that marked his return to Chelsea colours, but he had showed his power in getting to that position. A colossal presence. EPA

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  SUBS: N’Golo Kante – NA. It is a marker of where the two sides are at present that Chelsea could be this much better than Arsenal even though Kante was sat on the bench for most of it. Reuters

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  Timo Werner – NA. Not entirely forgotten about already, seeing as he got an appearance fee at the end, but he does feel like old news. Getty

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  Hakim Ziyech – NA. A speedy return to action after his shoulder injury in the Super Cup, as he was introduced late on for Mount. Reuters

Romelu Lukaku made a triumphant return to Chelsea with a goal and a powerhouse display as they beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium.

Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea manager, acknowledged before the game that he did not know fully what to expect after handing Lukaku a first start following his signing from Inter Milan.

However, the Belgian striker clicked straight into gear as part of an overwhelmingly dominant display by the away side.

He struck the opener after 15 minutes from a Reece James cross, after the home side had actually started the brighter of the two teams.

Arsenal struggled to hold the Champions League winners thereafter, though, and James doubled Chelsea’s advantage after 35 minutes.

Player ratings from the match can be seen in the picture gallery above. To view the next image, click on the arrows or swipe if on a mobile device.