In the 64 minutes, substitute at Arsenal: Nicklas for Theo Walcott.
Wenger’s men had been losing at the interval in this fixture last season but came back to win. They attempted a repeat job straight away when Diaby cracked an effort wide and just before the hour Nasri burst through only to be denied by Ashley Cole on the edge of the area. However, in between, those efforts Drogba set up Malouda to drive narrowly wide.
Once again, Arsenal were cranking up the pressure and penning back Chelsea. Wenger added to that anxiety by withdrawing Walcott and bringing on Nicklas Bendtner. As a result, Arshavin dropped to the left and Nasri went right.
Almost immediately after coming on, the Dane was clipped by Ricardo Carvalho just outside the area. Fabregas fired in a low free-kick that went through the wall but was beaten away by Cech. An excellent save given the keeper would have seen the ball only after it had emerged through a thicket of legs in a crowded area.
Final, Chelsea – Arsenal 2-0.