Having lost their previous five encounters against us, Arsenal were deserved winners in the evening encounter in north London, Branislav Ivanovic only pulling a goal back after the home side had taken a three-goal lead.
It was the day Frank Lampard returned to the starting line-up and although he got stronger as the game progressed, he understandably found it tough to make a real impact after nearly four months out. There were plenty of his team-mates below par too, Chelsea contesting an uneventful but mostly even first half, only to concede a goal from Alex Song a minute before the break.
Arsenal all but put the game safe by coming out strongly at the start of the second half and with Chelsea making mistakes, scoring goals through Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott
Nicolas Anelka was missing for the match with a knee injury so Salomon Kalou kept his place from the side that started at Tottenham 15 days ago. Didier Drogba returned having begun that match on the bench.
Despite also having two weeks' rest coming into the game, Wenger rotated his players in defence, midfield and attack, Djourou, Fabregas, Walcott and Van Persie coming in.
Much of Chelsea's hopes coming into the game were shouldered by Drogba but this was not his night, although the first foul of the game was on the Ivorian. Kalou then fouled Clichy before he did well to dispossess Nasri five minutes in and launch a counter-attack, but his cross was wayward.
Either side of that moment, Van Persie was twice in dangerous positions in the Chelsea box but was defeated by the offside flag first time and then a difficult bounce the second.
On seven minutes, Drogba had his first sight of the target after a Terry ball found him in running into space but he shot wide. That was to be the best chance for the visitors in the first half.
Both sides hinted at a little rustiness after two weeks without a game. When Terry was caught in possession by Fabregas near halfway he was perhaps a touch fortunate to escape a booking from referee Clattenburg when he interrupted an Arsenal break with a foul.
Chelsea were quickly onto Arsenal players in possession all over the pitch, sometimes at the expense of free-kicks but also winning the ball and generally hurrying the home side's play. We weren't ignoring the long ball possibility to Drogba either, hardly surprising given the history of this fixture over the last five years, but the game took a long time to ignite as the two sides toiled in the middle of the park.
On 20 minutes Van Persie went down under a Malouda challenge in the area. There was contact but the Chelsea man was also playing the ball and he escaped the penalty appeals. As Chelsea cleared our lines, Kalou handled and from the free-kick, Nasri struck the first shot of the game on target but Cech caught it.
An extremely clumsy touch prevented Walcott testing the Chelsea keeper as he used his pace to reach a long pass ahead of Cole, who on 28 minutes became the game's first booking for a foul on Van Persie by the corner flag.
At the other end, an unfortunate deflection off Sagna had prevented Drogba heading Malouda clean through on goal.
Around the half-hour Arsenal enjoyed their best short spell of pressure so far but it came to an end when Van Persie followed through on Mikel and evened up the card count. There was further misjudgement from the Dutchman as he blazed a good chance over.
Kalou was next in the book for catching Clichy with a high challenge on 38 minutes, by which stage Arsenal were beginning to cause Chelsea concern. It took a very good tip over from Cech to keep a Nasri shot out and the keeper also did well in cutting out a Walcott cross.
However the home side were beginning to play passes in and around the Chelsea area and a minute before the break, they capitalised after Ancelotti's side wasted a throw-in. A return pass from Wilshere to Song wasn't cut out and Song was able to beat Cech from 12 yards.
The midfield was altered at the break, Mikel, injured by the Van Persie challenge, coming off with Ramires introduced. Essien, largely anonymous in the first half, moved deeper.
The half started poorly however with possession given away at kick-off and two corners conceded, Cech just about dealing with them. Then came two goals in the space of two minutes.
First a ball was played up to Van Persie who as he held off two men, was tackled by Essien who only succeeded in giving the ball to Walcott. The Blues were stretched as the England winger found Fabregas to sweep the ball past Cech.
Then the two Arsenal men reversed roles as Malouda was caught in possesion by Walcott who then converted a Fabregas pass with Ivanovic unable to slide across and challenge in time. There were 52 minutes gone, we were 3-0 down and rocking.
Ancelotti responded instantly by bringing Kakuta on for Malouda and although the young Frenchman was not involved, the manager saw his side pull a goal back on 56 minutes. Drogba fired in a free-kick from midway inside the Arsenal half and Ivanovic headed in.
Lampard was booked for catching Song in the centre circle shortly before Bosingwa replaced Ferreira in the second substitution.
Chelsea tried to make a game of it for a spell and a second Blues goal at that point would have tested the Arsenal resolve. Fabregas chose to take a yellow card by pulling back Essien as he stormed forward towards the opposition area.
However danger lurked at the other end and Nasri was wasteful in shooting at Cech after a Kakuta mistake. The youngster did better at the other end by trying his luck from outside the area, but his shot went wide.
Arsenal by this stage weren't forcing the issue but substitute Diaby escaped his marker inside the area with 10 minutes to go, only for Cech to save.
Ramires wasted a good opportunity to pick out a colleague by shooting well off-target and Drogba fired a free-kick a couple of yards over.
In the closing moments Drogba smashed a shot goalwards but it was blocked and Kalou bundled in from a clearly offside position.
There will be question marks over Chelsea's defending after this display, but there was equally a lack of guile and ideas in attack.
No wins in six league games means we trail the leaders by six points having played a game more.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, Ferreira (Bosingwa 61), Ivanovic, Terry (c) Cole; Essien, Mikel (Ramires h-t), Lampard; Kalou, Drogba, Malouda (Kakuta 55).
Unused subs Turnbull, Bruma, van Aanholt, McEachran.
Scorer Ivanovic 56.
Booked Cole 28, Kalou 38, Lampard 58.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy; Song, Wilshere; Walcott (Diaby 73), Fábregas (Rosicky 87), Nasri; van Persie (Chamakh 76).
Unused subs: Szczęsny, Squillaci, Arshavin, Bendtner.
Scorers Song 44, Fabregas 50, Walcott 52.
Booked van Persie 32, Fabregas 67.
Referee Mark Clattenburg.
Crowd 60,112.
Shots on Chelsea 1 Arsenal 5
Corners Chelsea 6 Arsenal 4
Fouls Chelsea 16 Arsenal 10
Offsides Chelsea 4 Arsenal 4
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