Arsenal take control

The home side opened the scoring when Icelandic international Eidur Gudjohnsen capitalised on an error from Arsenal's Jens Lehmann after 53 minutes.

The goal was well deserved as the Blues came out for the start of the second half in fine form.

However, Chelsea's lead lasted just six minutes as Arsenal strung together a fine passing move which ended with Robert Pires climbing high to head home Ashley Cole's cross.

Chelsea started the match knowing that they had suffered a terrible sequence of results against their North London rivals. Indeed, this season, Claudio Ranieri's side have lost all three of their games against Arsenal.

In what was a slightly disappointing first half, neither side really settled into the match in such a way as to be able to dictate the pattern of the play. As a result, much of the passing was wayward and possession was exchanged far more frequently than is normal at this level.

As the half wore on, it was Arsenal who began to enjoy more of the ball and gradually they started to carve out some shooting opportunities.

Chelsea's defence has been formidable in the Champions League this season and even with the combined skills of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Pires, the visitors found it difficult to get behind the rock-solid partnership of John Terry and Marcel Desailly.

When finally the Gunners did manage to have a shot at Marco Ambrosio's goal, Bergkamp hardly made the Italian work, shooting straight at the stand-in 'keeper.

By the end of the half, the contrast between the two sides coming forward was apparent. Whilst Arsenal were comfortable playing their usual passing game, Chelsea were often forced to rely on the pace of Damien Duff and Adrian Mutu to launch quick counter-attacks, most of which were dealt with in superb style by the outstanding Sol Campbell.

The start of the second period saw a fired-up Chelsea come out with all guns blazing. First Lampard, whose influence on the match was now telling, volleyed a well-struck effort at goal only for Campbell to stick out a head to deflect the ball wide. Moments after that, though, Chelsea finally broke through.

Lampard played a well-timed pass between two Arsenal defenders, allowing Gudjohnsen to race clear of his markers. Though Lehmann got to the ball first, the German's clearance was charged down by Gudjohnsen who, faced with a difficult angle, calmly slid a left-footed shot into the corner of the goal. Cue Stamford Bridge delirium.

Chelsea were playing their best football of the match and they could so easily have gone two goals up. Parker played Gudjohnsen into space but his attempted cross-shot was charged down by Kolo Touré. Lehmann then pulled off a double save from Lampard and Gudjohnsen.

Arsenal, who hardly deserved to be trailing, took this as something of an affront and quickly came forward, searching for the equaliser that would give them a cherished away goal.

Patrick Vieira picked up possession in the centre as Arsenal worked the ball from right to left. Eventually Cole crossed in from the touchline and Pires rose above Terry and nodded past Ambrosio to completely change the look of the tie.

With that goal Chelsea searched in vain for a winner so that they could take a small advantage to Highbury in two weeks' time.

It was not to be and on 80 minutes Desailly was shown his second yellow card.

Though both sides came forward in the last ten minutes, neither side could find a second goal. The draw means that the tie is perfectly poised going into the second leg, though Arsenal, with an away goal, will feel as though they are in control.

Team Details

Chelsea: Ambrosio; Gallas, Terry, Desailly, Bridge; Parker (Cole, 72), Lampard, Makelele, Duff; Mutu (Crespo, 72), Gudjohnsen (Melchiot, 86)
Subs not used: Sullivan, Geremi, Huth, Gronkjaer

Arsenal: Lehmann; Lauren, Cole, Toure, Campbell; Ljungberg (Reyes, 78), Edu, Vieira, Pires; Bergkamp (Gilberto, 72); Henry
Subs not used: Stack, Keown, Cygan, Silva, Clichy, Kanu

Sent off: Desailly
Booked: Makelele

Referee: Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain)
Attendance: 40,778