Mikel Merino's clever header in the 19th minute on Sunday settled a London derby that will not live long in the memory.
The stand-in number nine looped Martin Odegaard's corner in at the far post as Mikel Arteta's side rekindled memories from earlier in the season of their effectiveness and cunning at set-pieces.
Chelsea, without the injured Cole Palmer, were by contrast completely bereft of ideas, the slow, timorous approach that has characterised recent nervy wins lacking the bite to trouble Arsenal who had little problem keeping the ball from them.
It is now four wins from the last 13 in the league for Enzo Maresca's fourth-placed side who continue to stumble through their bid to reach the Champions League.
Arsenal were the better side from the start.
Early in the first half, Jurrien Timber muscled Marc Cucurella off the ball and squared it for Leandro Trossard whose close-range effort was blocked by Wesley Fofana before goalkeeper Robert Sanchez showed an unnerving lack of confidence with a wild, limp-wristed swipe.
Declan Rice drilled an effort half a yard wide of Sanchez's post as Arsenal began to box Chelsea in, then Sanchez flew from his goal to swat a cross back towards danger, but Trossard blasted wide on the half-volley.
It had been a thoroughly one-sided opening 20 minutes and Arsenal capped it with the goal their enterprise merited.
Odegaard's corner was whipped towards the six-yard box where Merino manoeuvred across Reece James and stooped to flick an intelligent, looping header back over his own shoulder and in.
The visitors only mounted an attack in earnest in the 36th minute. After Pedro Neto and Christopher Nkunku had had shots blocked, Cucurella went for the spectacular, unleashing a thumping volley that squeezed through David Raya's grasp and dropped inches wide.
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