An astonishing piece of Brazilian magic by Silvinho completed an unlikely Arsenal comeback last night. Trailing by two goals midway through the second half, Silvinho first helped set up Thierry Henry's 76th-minute goal and then rounded off the revival with a strike from 20 yards that rifled into the net. It was hard to know who was more stunned: Chelsea's stand-in goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, who could barely have seen the shot, or Gianluca Vialli, who must have been anticipating their first Premiership victory over Arsenal for five years.

David Seaman was the first goalkeeper to see urgent action after eight minutes when he dashed out to deny Roberto Di Matteo a shooting opportunity after Christian Panucci had threaded the ball through.

Seaman's reflexes were tested again just past the quarter-hour as he dived hard to his left to push wide a header from Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Gianfranco Zola was causing Arsenal problems when he ran at their defence from deep positions, but earlier a header just past the far post from Grimandi, following a corner from Robert Pires, confirmed the evenness of the match.

Chelsea's ability to get in quick, accurate centres from either flank were always likely to put Arsenal's defence under pressure. After 25 minutes a free-kick from Zola found Frank Leboeuf coming in behind Marcel Desailly for a glancing header which, like Grimandi's earlier effort, only just missed.

A goal was clearly imminent and one duly arrived on 31 minutes. Di Matteo worked the ball to Poyet and although the Uruguayan was challenged near the edge of the Arsenal penalty area by Oleg Luzhny, Martin Keown and Silvinho he still managed to find Hasselbaink, who briskly made space before beating Seaman with an incisive shot inside the right-hand post.

However, Arsene Wenger's side were hardly out of the contest and nine minutes before half-time Henry beat Desailly with an impudent double-turn before shooting wide. As Grimandi's header, from Pires's corner, skimmed the bar at the start of the second half Chelsea were further reminded of the fragility of one-goal leads. Kanu emphasised the point in the 49th minute when he all but brought the scores level when he hit the bar. This, and the return of Lee Dixon after treatment following a late, high tackle for which Graeme Le Saux was cautioned, gave Arsenal added hope - but only briefly.

Two minutes before the hour Chelsea increased their lead with a goal which again asked questions about Arsenal's defending. Poyet chested a free-kick from Leboeuf into Zola's path and, although the bounce was awkward, the Italian still achieved the low shot which brushed the foot of the left-hand post on its way in.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Panucci, Babayaro, Leboeuf, Desailly, Poyet (Melchiot 71), Hasselbaink, Wise, Le Saux (Morris 80), Di Matteo, Zola (Flo 77). Subs Not Used: Hitchcock, Gudjohnsen. Booked: Panucci, Le Saux, Leboeuf. Goals: Hasselbaink 31, Zola 58.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon (Bergkamp 70), Keown, Pires (Ljungberg 77), Lauren, Henry, Parlour (Wiltord 70), Silvinho, Grimandi, Luzhny, Kanu. Subs Not Used: Lukic, Vernazza. Booked: Silvinho. Goals: Henry 76, Silvinho 86.

Referee: M Riley (Leeds).