It is easy to take the improvements to English football wrought by foreign players and coaches for granted. The individual qualities on show in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge were a case in point. There was a period when encounters between Chelsea and Arsenal were as technically demanding as games of conkers. The teams simply battered away at each other until one cracked.

Saturday's match may have been newsworthy because of the disputed penalty from which Chelsea drew level and the dismissal of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. There were, however, more positive things to appreciate.

There was the impudent wit and skill of Gianfranco Zola, for example, the sheer omnipotence of Marcel Desailly in Chelsea's defence, and further evidence that playing Robert Pires in central midfield has given Arsenal's game a new dimension while the withdrawal of Lauren, a winger, to right back has enhanced the prospect of life after Lee Dixon.

That said, the afternoon did not quite produce the plot to go with its cast. Though Arsenal were arguably the better side Chelsea would have been entitled to be more satisfied from the game even if they had not been forced to play out the last 18 minutes a man short. At least the loss of Hasselbaink added weight to the feeling that under Claudio Ranieri Chelsea are at last beginning to appreciate the dignity of labour.

Unburdened by the Champions League's autumn flurry, Ranieri's team are well placed to gather early points. The signs are encouraging. The onset of three Champions League fixtures in as many weeks will condition Arsenal's approach to their autumn Premiership programme. One sensed that tomorrow's date at Real Mallorca was occupying most minds.

Arsenal might have won two minutes from the end had Gilles Grimandi, left alone up front, reacted more adroitly when Chelsea's offside trap stalled. And Chelsea would still have lost in stoppage time had Nwankwo Kanu, their nemesis at the Bridge two seasons ago, not spooned a shot over the bar.

Francis Jeffers may solve the problem but for the moment Arsenal still lack a reliable finisher, a taker of the little goals. They will not always get the sort of second chance that saw them go in front just past the quarter-hour.

A lazy pass out of defence from John Terry gave Sylvain Wiltord the opportunity to send Lauren through on an overlap. From his low centre Pires should have scored and Arsenal were fortunate that De Goey could only deflect the shot out to Henry, who put it into the net.

Another 15 minutes or so and Zola, having swerved past Tony Adams, caught Martin Keown's standing foot, Hasselbaink scoring with the penalty. "Zola is very experienced," said Wenger.

Mike Riley's decision was correct, given that contact with Keown was made and the question of intent no longer counts. Zola knew what he was doing.

A moment's self-control would have kept Hasselbaink on the field. But as Keown grappled with him from behind the striker swung an elbow and that is a sending-off offence.

CHELSEA: de Goey, Desailly, Gallas, Terry, Le Saux, Lampard, Petit, Zenden (Melchiot 90), Gronkjaer (Stanic 83), Hasselbaink, Zola. Subs Not Used: Jokanovic, Gudjohnsen, Bosnich. Sent Off: Hasselbaink (71). Booked: Gronkjaer. Goal: Hasselbaink 31 pen.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Cole, Keown, Adams (Campbell 77), Grimandi, Lauren, van Bronckhorst, Pires, Henry, Wiltord (Ljungberg 86), Bergkamp (Kanu 69). Subs Not Used: Inamoto, Wright. Booked: Pires, Cole, van Bronckhorst, Keown, Grimandi. Goal: Henry 17.

Referee: M Riley (Leeds).