There was no love lost as Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella were reunited with their former team-mate Noni Madueke in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash proved a fiery and bad-tempered affair, with a total of eight cards – including a red for Moises Caicedo – brandished across the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge.

But while Chelsea were reduced to ten men towards the end of the first half, it was the hosts that made the breakthrough as David Raya was beaten by Trevoh Chalobah’s looping header in the 48th minute.

Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, dug deep and found a response just 11 minutes later through Mikel Merino, who headed Bukayo Saka’s cross beyond the impressive Robert Sanchez to equalise.

Merino had perhaps the best chance to win it with a strike from the edge of the box for the Gunners, but the match finished all square, meaning the six-point gap between Arsenal and third-placed Chelsea remained.

Madueke started on the bench against his former club, but was sent on in place of Gabriel Martinelli just two minutes before the visitors found their equaliser.

The England international was treated to a chorus of boos as his name was read out by the stadium announcer, with Cole Palmer seen nodding away upon hearing the hostile reception the winger received on the touchline.

Just moments later, Fernandez made his feelings towards Madueke abundantly clear as he floored the forward with a robust challenge before taunting and screaming in the face of his former team-mate while he lay on the ground.

Cucurella, a player, much like Fernandez, renowned for his fiery and highly competitive nature, was seen joining in with the Argentinian before Madueke returned to his feet.

It would appear the Chelsea duo are not ready to forgive Madueke for crossing the divide just yet…

Before the derby, Madueke said he would not surprised to receive a frosty reception from fans inside Stamford Bridge.

‘It might be a little bit hostile, it might not be. But I am a professional footballer,’ Madueke said.

‘I have played in loads of atmospheres. I don’t know if anything will faze me. I will just be focused on the task.

‘The fixture is not about me. The fixture is about Arsenal getting another three points in the league and being closer to the objective.’

Eyebrows were raised when Arsenal decided to part with £52million to sign Madueke from Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

The strength of feeling was so visceral among some sections of the fanbase that a #’NoToMadueke’ petition was launched on change.org, which was signed over 5,000 times.

But Madueke has quickly won fans over with his impressive early showings for the Gunners – and Arteta believes the support the attacker has received has provided the ‘fuel’ for his strong start.

‘If anything it [the petition] gave me more conviction and more will to help him,’ Arteta told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

‘And do everything we possibly could to make his relationship work and to prepare everything around him in the best possible way.

‘I think that lasted a short period of time and immediately we had complete the opposite reaction which I think he valued, respected and it was like fuel to him.

‘The petition did not affect him.’