Arsenal were also without their star striker, after Thierry Henry failed to shrug off an injury picked up in training yesterday.
The Blues started the match confidently and were getting into a good passing rythm yet Arsena came out on top in the first 20 minutes, showing why they are Premiership champions. Thankfully, they never really got going though and the Blues battled back with a couple of efforts failing to trouble David Seaman.
Worryingly, by this time the Blues had already seen Frank Lampard and Graeme Le Saux booked and the game threatened to get nasty at times.
Sylvain Wiltord tested Carlo Cudicini but other than that the Gunners rarely threatened the Chelsea goal. And they would be made to pay as Chelsea took the lead with one of the strangest goals you will see this season.
Patrick Vieira brought down Zola 35 yards from goal, the Frenchman seeing red for his tackle, and Zola himself stood up to take the kick.
He hit the ball well enough and it looked as though Eidur Gudjohnsen would flick the ball into the net but he failed to make contact. Yet he had caught David Seaman's eye and the Arsenal stopper failed to prevent the ball from going into the back of the net, direct from Zola's foot.
The goal seemed to give the Blues the confidence they need to get at Arsenal. Gronkjaer scuffed a good opportunity and Lampard had a wild shot fly over.
But half time came with the Blues in total control of the game. And things got better just five minutes into the new half. Jesper Gronkjaer was caught by Patrick Vieira near the toucline and the referee gave the Gunners man a second yellow card and an early bath. Chelsea Mad would like to declare that, in true Arsene Wenger style, we did not see ze incident...
Yet rather than see the Blues go on to win the match I had to put up with somelacklustre Blues passing and some resiliant Arsenal play. And on the hour, the Gunners were level, but not without controversy.
An Ashley Cole cross was well met by Wiltord but Cudicini made a miraculous save only for Kolo Toure to head in from a yard out. But what hadn't been spotted by the linesman was that, when Wiltord shot, Toure was clearly offside. If Wiltord had scored I would have had no complaints but as Toure put in the vital touch I feel it should have been disallowed...
The Blues finally brought on Jimmy Floyd for the last quarter of the game but he made little difference. Apart from a couple of late flurry's, the Blues failed to muster up any match winner and the game finished all square.
But whilst I felt that the game deservedly finished in a raw, I still feel that there is more to this Blues side. But we have to learn to win games. We have seen our two home games this year both finish in draws, yet Chelsea have not been behind in either. International week will give Claudio the chance to work on that winning formula with some of the players...
And on a lighter note, Chelsea Mad's very own Steve Furlong was watching today's match from the press box. Check the site during the week to see what he thought of the match and what things were like at the Bridge...