Gallas punishes Cech gaffe

Gallas: Arsenal hero

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William Gallas took full advantage of an astonishing blunder by Petr Cech to head Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League.

The Gunners skipper was left with a simple header into an empty net after Cech, widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, completely misjudged a corner in first-half stoppage time.

For Gallas, who left Chelsea in acrimonious circumstances as part of the deal that took Ashley Cole to Stamford Bridge, it will have been a sweet moment.

A worrying injury to John Terry further soured the Blues' afternoon, with the visiting captain sent for X-rays on his first metatarsal after kicking the bottom of Emmanuel Eboue's boot as the Arsenal man left his foot raised.

The Gunners midfielder was himself stretchered off in the second period after a late challenge from Joe Cole as the home side triumphed in a fixture which, while frenetic and full-blooded, at times lacked the quality expected of two leading sides.

Nine bookings

In a match which contained nine bookings, four for Arsenal and five for Chelsea, the Gunners were made to battle all the way.

While Arsenal saw Cesc Fabregas, Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini all return from injury, Chelsea were missing Michael Essien, Ricardo Carvalho and Didier Drogba.

It was a match in which Arsenal employed their pleasing patterns, Fabregas and Hleb always at the heart of the creation and Emmanuel Adebayor a constant threat while Chelsea were content to soak up pressure and rely on the quick counter.

Strangely, however, in the first half especially it was Arsenal's Manuel Almunia who was the busier goalkeeper.

One deflected shot from Shaun Wright-Phillips saw him make a spectacular flying save and a savagely swerving 25-yarder from Andrei Shevchenko saw him add another equally effective parry to his portfolio.

But if chances were at a premium then there was no lack of feistiness to this derby, which was played out to the accompaniment of constant boos for Cole on his first return to Arsenal since his transfer to Stamford Bridge.

One shuddering tackle from Cole on Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna set the tone, as did a high lunge on Cole for which Adebayor was booked.

He was never going to be the last player in referee Alan Wiley's notebook.

Both Frank Lampard and Terry were shown yellow cards, the England captain for a reckless challenge on Fabregas which saw players from both sides squaring up and Lampard for a foul on Hleb.

Terry woe

Eboue also saw yellow for a lunging challenge on Terry, which left the Chelsea defender hobbling from what was feared to be a broken metatarsal, though Grant insisted this was not the case.

Terry bravely attempted to continue but it was soon clear lasting damage had been done and he was replaced in the 38th minute by Israel's Tal Ben Haim.

Grant no doubt hoped to regroup in the dressing room but his plans were dashed by Gallas' header on the stroke of half-time.

Fabregas' swinging corner should have been an easy catch for Cech but somehow he contrived to get underneath the ball and succeeded only in waving it by to see the unmarked Gallas head the ball into the empty net for his third league goal of the season.

Frantic

Grant took off Claude Makelele and threw on Claudio Pizarro in search of a cutting edge and Flamini and Joe Cole found their way into the referee's notebook, the latter for a cynical foul on Eboue which saw the Arsenal man carried off on a stretcher.

Wright-Phillips should have scored when he skewed wide from three yards but Robin van Persie, on for Eboue, might have extended Arsenal's lead if he had not fired over following the most flowing move of the match.

The finale was truly frantic. Van Persie had the ball in the net only to be ruled offside, while a thunderous injury-time free-kick from Shevchenko was turned over by Almunia.

Then right at the death Fabregas should have scored but was immediately booked for a lunge into the back of Ashley Cole.