Arsenal V Chelsea: A Real Barn-Burner

What a great match Sunday! Arsenal and Chelsea played out an electric 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Arsenal looked better in the posession for much of the game, with their standard spread wide passing attack. They sorely missed Thierry Henry up front, though. I love Emanuel Adebayor and his attitude (this cat's always playing with a kid-on-Christmas-morning grin on his face), but he's raw. Right now I think he's an excellent Championship League striker, but he lacks that extra punch to excel in the Premiership.

For the first 70 minues, Arsenal had the advantage in building into the area but could not do much with it at the end. Chelsea looked stout in defense and it appeared to me to be a matter of time before they would punch one through, determined as they were to take the direct route. Ballack almost put them up early with a scorcher of a shot from distance. Then he apparently took a cab home because I don't recall seeing him in the game after that.

But it was the Gunners that struck first with a beautiful edge of the box sequence with Mathieu Flamini playing innie-outie with Alexander Hleb. The Chelsea defense did a beautiful impression of the French Army and left Flamini wide open at the 16 mark, where he sent the ball goalward. Not a great shot - middle of the sticks stuff - but Hilario proved he was no Petr Cech (any coincidence Chelsea announced today that Cech is resuming training in January?) and lamely let the ball slip by.

Proving there's no caffeine-substitute like a 1-goal deficit, Chelsea roared to life, tied the game on a screaming long-distance bid from Essien (Is there a more important player to Chelsea right now?) and then inexplicably started a hit-the-goalpost contest in which Lampard and Essien excelled.

When the dust cleared, I felt that Arsenal had acquitted themselves well without top-line players and played a better brand of building football. Chelsea, however, was clearly the more powerful and dangerous of the squads and they have to be kicking themselves over the lost points at home.

Favorite moment of the game (aside from the Gunners goal): The impromptu Jens Lehman and Didier Drogba slapstick routine. And they say vaudeville's dead! The ref got it spot on; didn't overreact and let the game continue.

Least favorite moment(s) of the game: Chelsea whining about every call against and surrounding the referee at multiple points during the game. Hello, EPL, when are you going to get these boys under control?