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Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman suffered another free-kick horror, watching Gianfranco Zola's 34th-minute effort from 30 yards bounce past him as Chelsea took the lead against the Premiership champions in a heated London derby battle. Seaman, who admitted his blunder knocked England out of the World Cup against Brazil in the summer, was possibly unsighted as Zola chipped the ball in and after Eidur Gudjohnsen and William Gallas both swung at it and missed, Seaman could not prevent it creeping past his belatedly outflung left hand. The absence of each side's master marksman diluted the prospect of a goal-fest on a sunny afternoon at Stamford Bridge. A badly bruised toe kept Arsenal's Thierry Henry out of the action while Chelsea's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink - who scored only one goal fewer than the Frenchman's Golden Boot-winning 24 in the Premiership last season - was only among the substitutes. Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri kept Eidur Gudjohnsen, who replaced Hasselbaink at half-time against Southampton on Wednesday, in attack alongside veteran Zola. He was also able to recall Graeme Le Saux after injury but former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit was still troubled with a swollen instep. Arsenal were relieved when skipper Patrick Vieira passed a fitness test and manager Arsene Wenger plumped for Sylvain Wiltord and Kanu as his front-line pairing. Defensive qualities were to the fore in the opening few minutes. Sol Campbell coolly covered a piercing long ball, played over the top by Le Saux, which threatened to put Gudjohnsen through. Then at the other end, Marcel Desailly stepped in for Chelsea when Ray Parlour tried to turn within prime shooting range on a low cross by Lauren. Gilberto did well for Arsenal, clearing Boudewijn Zenden's dangerous free-kick before William Gallas cut out Vieira's attempt to burst into the Chelsea box from midfield. Chelsea soon suffered two yellow cards, though. The first was for Frank Lampard for a late challenge on Vieira and the second went to Le Saux who reacted to an earlier elbow by Parlour only worthy of a free-kick according to ref Andy D'Urso - with a rash and reckless slide-tackle that took the Arsenal player's legs. Wiltord, stretching for Edu's low cross after Vieira's clever ball put the Brazilian away down the left, just failed to make contact when he had the goal at his mercy but neither goalkeeper was seriously troubled in the opening 20 minutes. Chelsea had a potentially lethal weapon in the pace of winger Jesper Gronkjaer who sped past Ashley Cole in the 26th minute and provided an inviting cross. Gudjohnsen flung himself at it and missed but that was enough to distract two Arsenal defenders and the ball ran through to the unmarked Zenden. He should have done much better than pull his shot across goal and beyond the far post from about 10 yards. Two minutes later Gronkjaer raced past Cole again but this time Campbell athletically cut out the cross. Arsenal were getting careless at the back though and Martin Keown's slack backpass brought David Seaman charging off his line to kick away from Zola. Arsenal still looked the classier team but Chelsea battled spiritedly, Vieira was then controversally booked for an alleged trip on Zola and as a result and the resultant free kick brought the first goal - a somewhat freak free-kick success for the little Italian in the 34th minute. Zola's set-piece was clearly intended as a set-up chip into the six-yard box but although both Gallas and Gudjohnsen threw themselves at the ball neither made contact. Alas, for Arsenal, neither did Seaman who obviously expected at least a deflection and dived too late for the straight ball which bounced past him and almost apologetically into the net. It looked another free-kick horror for Seaman following his self-confessed World Cup gaffe for England against Brazil. Arsenal tried to bounce back but Chelsea had the bit between their teeth now. When Vieira was crowded out on a forward sortie, a long clearance saw centre back Gallas breaking away from the marooned Arsenal defence although Cole finally got back to rob him. Things went from bad to worse for Arsenal in a stormy opening 10 minutes to the second half. Vieira, helping Cole keep tabs on the elusive Gronkjaer, was again controversally book after a tackle on the Danish winger and as this was a second yellow card, the red, was inevitable. Television replay clearly showed that it Gronkjaer kicked into the sole of Vieira's boot in his follow through. Vieira, so often the victim of his reputation, has now suffered the indignation of being sent off for the eighth time in his Arsenal career - and second at Chelsea. It was also the 45th red card for Arsenal since Arsene Wenger became manager in September 1996. Soon afterwards Wiltord, having been caught by Gronkjaer's careless challenge, shoved the Chelsea player in the chest and when Gronkjaer went down as though poleaxed he was booked. So, too, was Wiltord. It looked grim for Arsenal and yet their 10 men roared back to equalise on the hour - with a first goal by Ivory Coast midfielder Kolo Toure who had replaced injured Edu in the first half. Toure, 21 and yet to make his first start, ran at the Chelsea defence and spread the ball out wide to Cole. His cross was volleyed at goal by Wiltord and although Carlo Cudicini leapt to palm the shot away it fell perfectly for Toure, who had continued his run, to head home from well inside the six-yard box. If anything Arsenal's depleted forces should have won it after that. With 16 minutes left, Ray Parlour was away onto Kanu's clever pass but took too long to create space away from the covering Marcel Desailly and was robbed by sub Mario Stanic. Chelsea, inevitably, set up a grandstand finish but a flurry of corners came to nothing and when the final whistle sounded it was, ironically, Seaman who held the ball in a firm grasp. Before his error, neither side had looked like scoring. Without the injured Thierry Henry there looked a strong possibility Arsenal might fail to score for the first timed in 43 games. Parlour and Wiltord failed to snap up half chances and Chelsea created little more, thanks to the power and dominance of Sol Campbell and Martin Keown. The tackles were flying early on, with Frank Lampard and the reckless Graeme Le Saux yellow carded for Chelsea, although in Le Saux's defence he had been elbowed by Parlour just a minute or two earlier. The action though was almost as hot as the weather, although at times the creativity melted away in a sea of strong challenges. Both sides remain unbeaten after four games but they will have to improve on this display to ensure the Premiership title stays in London. Teams: Chelsea: Cudicini, Ferrer, Desailly, Gallas, Le Saux (Melchiot 65), Gronkjaer, Lampard, De Lucas, Zenden (Stanic 71), Gudjohnsen, Zola (Hasselbaink 68). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Morris. Booked: Lampard, Le Saux, De Lucas, Gronkjaer, Melchiot. Goals: Zola 34. Arsenal: Seaman, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Edu (Toure 31), Vieira, Silva, Parlour, Wiltord (Aliadiere 90), Kanu (Cygan 83). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Jeffers. Sent Off: Vieira (50). Booked: Vieira, Wiltord. Goals: Toure 60. Attendance: 40,037 Referee: A D'Urso (Essex). |