Arsenal's quest for a trophy goes on as the Blues dismantled the Premier League leaders 2-0 in their own backyard tonight in the Capital One Cup.
A goal in each half by Spaniards Cesar Azpilicueta and Juan Mata was enough to book the west Londoners their berth in the fifth round of the much-maligned trophy.
Chelsea left behind at Stamford Bridge six regular first-teamers and their stand-ins did not disappoint - some even enhanced their growing reputations.
Jose Mourinho has not lost to Arsene Wenger in any of their previous eight meetings and they never looked like losing at the Emirates in their ninth.
Chelsea started off in dominant fashion, forging two corners in the opening 10 minutes. Arsenal by contrast, happy to counter-attack.
However, while possession is a premium,what the players did with it left a lot to be desired.
Neither side creating anything like a clear cut opportunity.
In the 16th minutes, Arsenal did put together a decent passage of play but again no end product,
The first shot on goal came a minute later when Kevin De Bruyne curled a not so fierce right-tower from the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, Lukasz Fabianski, easily snaffled out the chance.
A nice left-sided cross by Ashley cole's stand-in Ryan Bertrand was met by the back heel of Eto'o and went out to safety.
Arsenal can count themselves a tad unlucky when Ryo Beat the offside trap to met a fine jack Wilshre pass. While the Japan midfielder did little with the chance he was wrongly adjudged to be offside.
But the deadlock was broken on 25 minutes when a quick break out by the visitors saw Wilshre tell Carl Jenkinson to take control of a looping ball just outside his area.
The right-back decided to head back to Fabianski but right -back Cesar Azpilicueta nipped in and slid a right-foot past the hapless goalkeeper.
It had echoes of Fernando Torres's winner against Manchezter City at the weekend, but emphasised the never say die spirit engendered by Jose Mourinho - chase down everything, it might just work out for you.
It was the Spanish defender's first goal for the Blues.
A minute later and Azpilicueta then proceeded to give the ball away just outside his area and Nacho Monreal stole the ball and arrowed a fine left footer of his own across the diving Chelsea goalkeeper Schwarzer. But the effort saw the ball inch wide of the stopper's left had upright.
Captain of e night for Chelsea Michael Essien tried a spectacular shot with three minutes on the clock but his effort went wayward and away for a throw-in.
There were no changes at half-time by either is.
Three minutes after the restart and Eto'o tried his luck with a fierce drive from the edge of the Arsenal area, but it zipped just wide of Fabianski's left post.
Santi Cazola tried something similar two minutes later, with a similar result.
Aaron Ramsey's speculative shot saw a deflection as the home side piled on the pressure around the Chelsea penalty area.
Ramsey got a bit closer with a fine right footer, that went just wide.
The first change if the game came from the home side with German wunderkind Mesut Ozil entering the fray at the expense of Ryo.
Any expected attacking impetus would have been expected from Arsenal, but it was the Blues, on 66 minutes, who showed what the game is all about scoring goal. What a finish Juan Mata has in his locker.
Picking up a ball dropping off the back of Willian, the mercurial Spain midfielder let fly with an unstoppable right- footer from just outside the Arsenal penalty area that flashed past Fabianski and into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
The 9,000 official Chelsea fans in the 59,455 crowd went bonkers in delight.
Arsene Wenger immediately replaced lifeless Niclas Bendtner for Olivier Giroud and the Frenchman forced Schwarzer into a smart save at his near post with his fort touch.
But Chelsea felt another goal was available and their best passing movement almost reaped dividends when Ramieres , on for De Bruyne, along with Willian worked the ball towards goal on the right. The Brazil midfielder raced to the byline, clipped the ball back only for Laurent Koscielny to clear off the goal line.
Jose Mourinho decided that Demba Ba needed a run out and the striker replaced Eto'o with 10 minutes on the clock.
Ramires almost got number three but his shot hit the top of the net as the game drifted even further away from Arsenal. David Luiz blasted a 30-yard free kick which dipped just too late to trouble Fabianksi's goal.
That was the last of e action.
The Blues head to the North-East on Saturday for a lunchtime encounter at Newcastle United.
Teams: Chelsea, Schwarzer, Luiz, Essien, Mata, Mikel, De Bruyne, Willian, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Eto'o, Bertrand
SubsIvanovic, Ramires, Torres, Hazard, Ba, Kalas, Blackman
Arsenal: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Kosicky, Wilshere, Ramsey, Monreal, Cazorla, Bendtner, Jenkinson, Ryo
Subs: Sagna Ozil, Giround, Viviano, Park, Hayden, Yennaris
Ref: Phil Dowd