How Arsenal tore Chelsea to shreds in throwback performance

The clock didn't even read 45 minutes before the "oles" broke out. Arsenal supporters at the Emirates couldn't help themselves as their team ran rampant in the first half Saturday against Chelsea.

Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott, and Mesut Ozil scored the goals in a 3-0 win over the Blues, marking Arsenal's first Premier League win over its west London nemesis since October 2011.

Arsene Wenger oversaw so many brutal losses in the intervening years. The one that hurt most came on the day of his 1,000th match: a 6-0 thrashing against Jose Mourinho's side.

Saturday's showing was revenge served at rapid speeds. Arsenal was relentless on and off the ball, showing no mercy as it harried Chelsea defenders.

There was even some showboating from the Gunners. Ozil delighted the home support when he made a no-look pass towards the interval. Confidence restored.

Here's how Arsenal produced this throwback performance:

Confident passing cuts Chelsea apart

Arsenal on its best day is all about incisive one-touch passing, stringing together plays with silky movement and quick decision-making. Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry combined several times to score classic goals this way.

On the week of Arsene Wenger's 20th anniversary in charge of the club, it seemed apropos to watch the club play the way it did when it conquered the Premier League.

Eleven passes connected the buildup to Walcott's goal in the 14th minute, with seven different players getting a touch on the ball.

In the end, it was an easy finish for Walcott, who doubled Arsenal's advantage with virtually no one marking him in the box.

Sneaking in behind a clearly disinterested Eden Hazard, lung-bursting right-back Hector Bellerin was afforded the gift of time and space to provide the killer pass. Arsenal's determination, coupled with Chelsea's complete lethargy, made for a one-sided match.

Arsenal's pace too much to handle

Not even N'Golo Kante - the irrepressible force of nature who hunts down every player and chases every ball - could keep up with Arsenal's breakneck speed.

He simply gave up as Ozil sprinted up the pitch with Sanchez to create a two-on-two situation, and after linking up with his Chilean teammate, Ozil hammered a volley off the ground and into the net.

The brilliant counterattack highlighted Chelsea's lack of desire. Cesc Fabregas was the one who surrendered possession cheaply in Arsenal's end, and he was nowhere to be seen after that.

Sanchez set the standard early in the first half when he chased down Gary Cahill for the opening goal. Cahill lingered too long on the ball, but Sanchez was the one who forced the error as he put the England defender under duress.

Sanchez's work rate is his strongest characteristic, and the rest of his Arsenal teammates seemed to pick up on his energy. Alex Iwobi was also brilliant off the ball as he moved into dangerous positions and played in key passes.

It helped too that Chelsea conceded pockets of space in the middle of the park. Running is a vital component of Antonio Conte's system, and it's just not happening at the moment.

Mustafi, Koscielny a winning partnership

Arsenal entertained the masses going forward, but it was just as convincing at the back. Summer signing Shkodran Mustafi has already struck an understanding with Laurent Koscielny at centre-back, with the former always putting in a right foot and the latter always in the right position.

Koscielny frustrated Diego Costa all match, and even drew a yellow card against the Brazilian. Every time Costa drifted into Arsenal's penalty area, Koscielny was there to block and shepherd the controversial forward into a compromising position.

Mustafi led the match with six interceptions, showing a sense of composure and timing that his predecessor Per Mertesacker so often lacks.

They have yet to concede a Premier League goal from open play as starters, and are only in the beginning stages of what looks like one of England's best defensive duos.