Chelsea regained its nine-point lead in the English Premier League on Sunday, beating Arsenal 2-0 on goals by Arjen Robben and Joe Cole.
The victory maintained the Blues' mastery over the Gunners, and ended Arsenal's string of 13 league victories at Highbury.
In their first league showdown this season, Chelsea defeated Arsenal 1-0 at Stamford Bridge for its first league win against the Gunners since 1995.
Chelsea also defeated Arsenal 2-1 in the preseason Community Shield.
"This is always a great game to play, and we have to continue like this," Robben said. "As a team we needed a good game because the last two games we didn't play well. Today we showed everybody in the country why we're top of the league."
Added Cole: "Chelsea are flying at the moment and it's all good for us."
Chelsea has 46 points and has allowed only seven goals in 17 league games. Manchester United is in second with 37 points, followed by Liverpool and Tottenham with 31 each. Arsenal stayed in eighth place with only 26 points -- 20 behind Chelsea.
Robben scored Chelsea's first goal in the 39th minute after Arsenal missed two earlier chances. Following a throw-in from midfield, Robben raced down the left side and left-footed the ball behind diving Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.
Cole sealed the win in the 73rd, breaking from the right wing and beating Lehmann from 18m.
"It was very a big disappointment to lose this game, but we will try to fight as well as we can -- but it will be difficult for us," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.
missed opportunities
Chelsea applied all the early pressure, but it was Arsenal that had the best two early scoring chances. In the 20th, Thierry Henry skipped into the area and rolled a shot on the ground from 15m that hit the post to the left of 'keeper Petr Cech.
A minute later, Arsenal's Robin van Persie put the ball into the net off a left-wing shot, but the play was ruled offside. A TV replay showed Persie was onside, but Henry was offside.
"I feel that goal was just onside," Wenger said. "We were playing well when we scored the goal."
The Gunners never recovered, although Henry had a couple more chances, including a close-in header in the 67th that Cech dived to save.
Middlesbrough 3, Tottenham 3
In the day's other Premier League game, Mido scored an 83rd-minute goal to rally Tottenham to a 3-3 draw at Middlesbrough.
Tottenham took a 1-0 lead in the 25th, thanks to a mistake by Middlesbrough 'keeper Mark Schwarzer. The Australian came out to catch a high cross, but the ball bounced off his hands with Robbie Keane dribbling a weak shot into an empty net.
Middlesbrough leveled five minutes later when Aiyegbeni Yakubu scored on a powerful 10m volley that slipped inside the post. Yakubu was also involved in the go-ahead goal in the 43rd when James Morrison's shot deflected off him and into the net behind Paul Robinson.
Spurs equalized in the 63rd when Jermaine Jenas' free kick from 20m curled into the net and beat Schwarzer diving to his right.
Middlesbrough went ahead again in the 69th when Franck Queudrue scored on a 10m header that dropped over the line behind Robinson. This set the stage for Mido's 83rd-minute equalizer.
"If we are a bit cleverer we can win these sorts of games," Tottenham coach Martin Jol said. "Last year we could not do it and I think we have improved in certain areas and it showed."
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