What we learned from the match

1 Cesc Fabregas has been sorely missed

The midfielder showcased his ability to find pockets of space, even if he had to drop deep from his starting position to do so while the weight and vision of his passing was delightful. An example? His pass for Theo Walcott’s goal. Fabregas’s determination to topple Chelsea was etched into his performance.

2 Theo Walcott seizes his chance

The England international took his chance with both hands. Walcott’s game is built upon making the difference, even if it is only in one or two flashes. In the space of two second-half minutes, he contributed an assist and a goal, his ninth of the season. Job done.

3. Didier Drogba is mortal

The joke that used to do the rounds about Philippe Senderos, the former Arsenal defender, was that he would jump six feet into the air if you shouted “Didier Drogba” at him. Fabregas dared not even mention Drogba’s name in his programme notes. “They have a player who loves scoring against us,” he wrote. But this was not to be another of those nights when Drogba bullied and Arsenal meekly rolled over. Chelsea failed to get him into dangerous areas and it said much that his best moment was his taking of the free-kick that led to Branislav Ivanovic’s goal.

4. Chelsea’s blip is far from over

When the defending champions raised the intensity against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in their previous fixture, emerging with a 1-1 draw, it felt like they had turned a corner. Those predictions needed to be hastily revised after this, a disjointed and laboured display. Lukasz Fabianski was not required to make a save. Carlo Ancelotti could name the spine of the team he favours, with Frank Lampard back but Chelsea looked anything but champions-in-waiting again. One positive was that they did not let their heads drop at 3-0 but it was scraping the barrel.

5. Chelsea’s resources look stretched up front

The pre-match news that Nicolas Anelka had withdrawn because of knee trouble shone a harsh light on the attacking options available. In came Solomon Kalou but what of the substitutes’ bench? Ancelotti was unable to name a striker, with the attacking midfielder Gael Kakuta the only offensive player on it. Fabio Borini is out of favour because of a contract dispute and where was Daniel Sturridge? The bench boasted four academy players and two goals, both of them scored by Jose Bosingwa. Ancelotti has insisted he will not be on the market for a striker next month but can his team sustain a title defence and a tilt at the Champions League without a little extra help?