Arsenal:
              Almunia
 Hoyte Toure Campbell (Senderos 82) Cole
Ljungberg (Pennant 85) Vieira Cesc Clichy
     Henry van Persie (Pires 71)

Lauren and Flamini were forced to sit out with injuries picked up at Newcastle last week, Reyes was out as expected, and Bergkamp had still not recovered from his thigh injury. So, Clichy and Hoyte started, and the bench was so weak as to include Sebastien Larsson.

Charlton started well. Rommedahl forced a decent save from Almunia within a minute of kick-off, and it was nearer 10 minutes when Arsenal's first chance came along: Toure's hoof forward falling for Henry whose shot made Kiely scramble across goal to save.

Former Gunner Jerome Thomas's cross was nearly turned in by Rommedahl on 20 minutes, and although his shot missed it could have gone in off Fortune at the far post.

But Arsenal soaked up the pressure and struck back 10 minutes before halftime, with a superb swivel and shot by Freddie Ljungberg in the middle of the box after being set up by Vieira.

The Addicks came back at us for the rest of the half and after Campbell nearly deflected the ball into his own net, they got a free kick which El Karkouri smacked home superbly from 30 yards out.

But Arsenal came out galvanised after the break and took the lead again just minutes later. It was a beautiful move ending with a perfect and graceful backheel by Cesc into the path of Freddie, who took the ball forward before driving it past Kiely for his second goal of the game. It turned out that Cesc was offside in the build-up, and Alan Curbishley is reported to be calling for the rule to be changed. Not quite sure why, surely this was just a question of the linesman getting it wrong. Linesman have always and will always get things wrong sometimes. Perhaps that's the point of the new rule, it confuses things to the point where people don't know what to moan about any more.

The home side came back at us again, and Thomas had a goal ruled out for offside. Up the other end Shaun Bartlett nodded Henry's free kick off the line but mostly we were on the back foot.

So it was a relief when van Persie made it safe on 68 minutes. Almunia's goal kick caused a bit too much panic in the Addicks back row, and when Fortune headed it softly back towards goal Robin was there to hook it beautifully across goal and inside the far post.

Campbell nearly headed a fourth, but was then taken off with an injury. Phillipe Sendeors came on for his first feel of the Premiership, and it sounds like he may be getting a few more feels in the coming weeks.

Once again, Chelsea scraped through a 1-0 win. All we can do is keep winning, and cross our fingers.