Didier Drogba successfully completed just under an hour's football on what was a good opening to the reserve team season.

After four months of recuperation on a knee problem, it was an understandably steady rather than spectacular start to his 2008/09 campaign - but there was a sure sign of the real Drogba in creating Chelsea's first-half equaliser, providing a platform for his younger colleagues to accelerate away for an admirable win.

There was plenty of entertainment throughout a game full of pace and attacking attention from both sides.

There was an opening within a minute for Chelsea, Scott Sinclair running clear with the offside flag staying down but a well-timed covering tackle saved the home side.

From the corner that followed, Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny mis-read Miroslav Stoch's shot totally and was fortunate indeed to see his half-save loop up and over the goal.

Chelsea were kicking down the Barnet slope, a significant advantage on this ground, but it was not enough to prevent Arsenal taking a 10th minute lead. Following on from a couple of threatening shots, Chelsea were slow to clear the ball and from the edge of the six-yard box, Mark Randall poked the ball home.

After the early set-back, Chelsea will be pleased not have fallen further behind as Arsenal maintained the pressure.

Jack Wilshere scooped over when well-placed and with the Blues defence looking stretched, Rui Fonte was able to cut in and fire across Taylor, the Chelsea keeper relieved to see the ball strike the far post and fall kindly.

Arsenal winger Fran Merida tried his luck from further out and Taylor tipped over.

After 20 minutes of pressure, Stoch began the Chelsea retaliation with a trick past his marker and a low drive that was saved.

Where Brendan Rodgers's side were having joy was with the ball behind and the well-timed run and one such dash from Sinclair was followed by a low cross in Drogba's direction. It was cut out with the striker poised to score.

The clearance only went as far as Sinclair whose follow-up shot looked on its way in before Wilshere did well to clear off the line.

That was on 25 minutes and the crowd saw the best of Sinclair three minutes later as he dribbled through and shot, only for Szczesnyto pull off a commendable one-handed save with next to no reaction time.

Arsenal attacked once more when the speedy Jay Simpson worked his way past Nana Ofori-Twumasi but Taylor saved.

Drogba was finding possession hard to find but on 31 minutes came his best moment yet and the pas of the game. He picked out Sinclair from a position out on the touch line, only for the England Under 19 winger to shoot over.

Chelsea's midfielder Sergio Tejera was booked for an off-the-ball push before the Chelsea equaliser came three minutes before the break.

It was all about Drogba. Out on the left, full-back Ogogo was out-foxed and out muscled Senderos-style before Drogba waited his moment to set up Tejera from a yard out.

The first chance of the second half fell Stoch's way but went wide. Arsenal then struck the woodwork for a second time when a free-kick deflected up off the Chelsea wall and looped beyond the reach of Taylor.

On 58 minutes, Drogba was withdrawn and replaced by Fabio Paim, the new loan signing from Sporting Lisbon who took up position on the left of the front three, Sinclair moving central. At the same moment, Michael Woods came on for Tejera.

Within four minutes, the subs made a massive impact. Paim, from midway inside the Arsenal half picked out Stoch with a great diagonal ball. The Slovakian spotted a burst into the box by Woods and found him for a finish from eight yards.

Scaling the Underhill slope was proving no deterrent to the Chelsea side as a third was added on 70 minutes. Sinclair registered the goal he had been threatening when a Mellis shot was charged down but fell to the edge of the area for his colleague to slam it in under the bar.

Chelsea went post rattling just two minutes later when a Stoch free-kick was curled past the wall to make it two woodwork strikes to one in the home side's favour.

Arsenal reduced the real deficit to 3-2 and set-up a nerve-jangling finish with a free-kick into the top corner by Fonte after Magnay had fouled Simpson right on the edge of the area, a tackle for which he was booked.

The closing minutes saw Arsenal throw bodies and passes down the slope and Chelsea survived a ball across the face of goal by Simpson which evaded a forest of feet.

Then Taylor punched over well from Wilshere, a save he had to repeat before the whistle went and the reserves were able to claim their first three points from their first game of the campaign.

Chelsea Rhys Taylor; Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Jeffrey Bruma, Carl Magnay, Patrick van Aanholt; Sergio Tejera (Michael Woods 58), Liam Bridcutt (c), Jacob Mellis; Scott Sinclair, Didier Drogba (Fabio Paim 58), Miroslav Stoch (Ricardo Fernandes 86).

Arsenal Wojciech Szczesny; Abu Ogogo, Gavin Hoyte, Kyle Bartley, Kieran Gibbs; Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin (James Dunne 59), Mark Randall (Rhys Murphy), Fran Merida; Jay Simpson, Rui Fonte.