This weekend saw the 111th
anniversary of the first ever First Division London
derby when on 9th November 1907, Arsenal were the visitors to Stamford Bridge
to play Chelsea .
Stamford Bridge pictured in 1905
Arsenal were the first London
club to enter the top flight of the Football League in 1904 and remained alone
among those nasty northerners for 3 years until the Blues joined them in
1907.
Previously in the season Chelsea had struggled, so
it was something of a surprise when Chelsea
took a 2-0 lead with a brace from George Hilsdon. Arsenal narrowed the gap to
2-1, but could get no closer and suffered their fifth defeat of the season.
Various reports suggested the crowd was somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000,
which was a new league record.
By the end
of the season, Chelsea
finished in thirteenth, one place ahead of Arsenal, with whom they were level
on points, by virtue of a superior goal average.