The only surprise in the Arsenal line-up was Edu starting alongside Vieira instead of Gilles. Seems to have worked so far. Edu's been excellent in possession and scored the opener for the second domestic match running. With all 4 midfielders prepared to get into the box the attacking options are frightening. even with Henry out. See team news item for full line-up.

Vieira found himself unmarked on the penalty spot when he got his head to a cross on 6 minutes, but he didn't jump high enough, or timed it wrong, and couldn't get over the ball, sending it high and wide.

2 minutes later Bergkamp found Pires' run with a ball down the middle, but his first touch took it slightly too far away from him allowing Delaney the chance to make a superb sliding tackle.

14 minutes gone and Edu won a free-kick 10 yards outside the box on the left. Villa will complain about the free-kick, it was a high foot which may well have gone unpunished on most occasions in the Premiership. Oh well, never mind.

Bergkamp tapped the indirect kick to Wiltord who hit a low dipping thunderbolt down Schmeichel's throat. Red-nose couldn't hold it and Vieira was first to react, having spun goalwards off the wall. Schmeichel did well to block the follow-up but it rebounded straight to Edu who made no mistake from 10 yards out.

Shortly after, Seaman was forced into a good near-post save when Vassell found himself in space to Seaman's right of goal after a too-easy break down that wing. It came out to Merson whose excellent cross beyond the far post was whacked well wide by the Boateng's lunge.

Merson cocked it up next time they broke, playing a virtually impossible near-post ball for Vassell (who, to be fair to Paul, was rather late spotting the run Merse wanted him to make) when Boateng was in space on the far side.

He tried a curler from the left wing but it was a couple of yards wide. Lauren went down badly after a crunching (but legal) sliding tackle from Delaney, whose follow-through caught the left-back's left leg (the Moose Luzhny having reverted to the right). Was there ever such a cursed position as Arsenal left-back? He did hobble back on after a few minutes of treatment.

Arsenal were a bit unlucky to have a goal disallowed when Ljungberg fired a shot in from 20 yards. Bergkamp was in an offside position, but there's no way the ball was meant for him or that he was trying to do anything but get out of the way. It turned into a one-two as the ball bounced off the Dutchman's arse and Freddie did brilliantly to get forward and pick it up before chipping Schmeichel in a way which will have brought a smile to the face of anyone who watched his debut against Man Utd!

I guess it was probably fair to rule it out. This was Dennis Bergkamp after all, he probably meant it!

Stepanovs got a knock and for a few moments his lack of mobility made us look very shaky at the back. Edu played the ball out very deliberately, very obviously for the big Latvian to get treatment (he hit it straight to the touchline deep in our half when he could easily have held onto it, or played it upfield). Luzhny got booked for a tetchy foul after Villa failed to throw the ball back to us. Silly card, but you have to appreciate the sentiment.

Dixon came on for Stepanovs at half time with Luzhny moving to central defence.

One minute into the second half Schmeichel did well to beat Freddie to a long ball over the top. Then Seaman did similarly at the other end as Sol deflected a low cross goalwards.

Dixon gave away a penalty 9 minutes after half-time, but Seaman came up with one of his unbelievable spot-kick saves from Gareth Barry. H dived to his left and reached up with his right hand to deflect the well-hit penalty straight up into the air, and was able to gather it went it fell. Reminiscent of Sampdoria, haven't said that for a while.

Bergkamp's first-time scissor kick flew wide after a Dixon cross found him completely unmarked near the spot. He probably didn't realise how much space he had.

15 minutes after half-time Pires conjured up a quite beautiful second. He beat Boateng to a long diagonal ball but the defender was in front of him and up close. Bob flicked the ball past him to the left and ran the other side. In slow-motion, he waited for the bounce and chipped Schmeichel perfectly. Freddie must have had a word. :-)

I think sales of Arsenal end-of-season goal videos are going to be up this year!

Villa got one back through Dion Dublin. Hadji did well to get the cross in past Ljungberg from the left touchline, and Dublin lost his marker Campbell and Seaman had no chance with the low header. Grimandi came on straight afterwards for Ljungberg, with Edu moving to the left wing and Pires to the right. With a quarter of an hour to go, Bergkamp was replaced by Kanu.

Villa put us under a lot of pressure towards the end, but the defence did well to hang on.