Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas insisted he still had huge respect for Arsenal fans despite getting a hostile reception from some of them as he helped condemn the Gunners to a 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Fabregas put in a fine performance against his old club in the Barclays Premier League contest and provided a wonderful pass from which Diego Costa notched the hosts' second goal.
Asked afterwards if the victory had been sweeter given the negativity aimed towards him by some Arsenal supporters, the Spain international told Sky Sports 1: "Not at all.
"I have huge respect for Arsenal - they gave me everything when I was little. Without them I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have won what I have won.
"I have huge respect and I take it in a positive way. I know they love me and it is all because we were together once.
"Sometimes, circumstances mean these things can happen. But I have always said it - I am not scared. They will always be in my heart forever.
"But this is football, I am in this fantastic football club now playing with great players, a great coach and great fans and I want to win everything.
"I am hungry and really want to do well for this club. I hope I can make it in the future."
The game, in which Chelsea took the lead through Eden Hazard's 27th-minute penalty before Costa wrapped things up in the 78th with his ninth goal in seven Premier League matches, was a feisty affair.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, unhappy about a Gary Cahill challenge on Alexis Sanchez, appeared to shove his Blues counterpart Jose Mourinho on the touchline.
There were also questions over whether challenges from Gunners trio Laurent Koscielny, Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck might have merited them being been sent off by referee Martin Atkinson, when none were.
Mourinho had no doubt Arsenal "could have finished with eight men".
He said: "I think the referee, from a technical point of view, had a fantastic performance in a difficult, technical, fast match with lots of runs behind - also the linesmen had a difficult game and I think they did a fantastic job.
"But Arsenal could have finished with eight men, because it is a red card for Koscielny, it is a double yellow card for Chambers in the first half, and clear was a red card for Welbeck.
"But I accept that the Welbeck red card was not given - the game was over and Welbeck is a good kid and is not aggressive. It was maybe just a reaction, some frustration.
"So I have no complaint really."
Asked about the Wenger incident, Mourinho said: "For me, it is over.
"But the technical area is very clear - I have mine, he has his and he cannot come to mine, especially to put pressure on the referee to give a red card to my player.
"So I just told him 'leave my technical area and don't come back please'."
Then asked if it was a big deal that Wenger had put his hands on him, Mourinho said: "No, it is no problem."
When quizzed for his version of those events, Wenger refused to say anything other than: "You have good cameras - I just went out to see what happened and that is it.
"I say absolutely nothing (else about it)."
He also disagreed that the Koscielny tackle - which was on Hazard in the box and resulted in the penalty, but only a yellow card - warranted a red.
"No, because he went for the ball," Wenger said.
"I don't think it was a deliberate foul inside the box."
Wenger suggested Chelsea's "financial power" had been a major factor in the game, making reference to big-money Blues signings Hazard and Costa.
"It was a very even game I think, where in moments we were a bit unlucky sometimes," Wenger said.
"As well, at the end of the day, they have a financial power and they used it in a very efficient way when they had the chances.
"Their individual players who can make the difference made the difference - Hazard and Costa."
Unbeaten Chelsea are now five points clear at the top of the table and nine points ahead of seventh-placed Arsenal, who were defeated in the league for the first time this season.
Regarding the points gap, Wenger added: "Of course it's a lot. We have had a lot of difficult games up to now, and with the quality of the team they (Chelsea) have it's a lot, but we will fight to come back."
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