Henry and Hasselbaink on the sidelines

The absence of each side’s master marksman diluted the prospect of a goal-fest on a sunny afternoon at Stamford Bridge.

A fractured toe kept Arsenal’s Thierry Henry out of the action while Chelsea’s Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink – who scored only one goal fewer than the Frenchman’s Golden Boot-winning 24 in the Premiership last season – was only among the substitutes.