Not quite the awesome free-flowing Arsenal which devastated Liverpool for much of the last match and ended up with a draw. But this slightly lesser Arsenal came away with a win, so who cares, eh?

Arsenal took the lead with a rather atypical Pires goal after 17 minutes. Bergkamp fed Henry to the left of the box, and his nifty footwork made space for a cross beyond the far post. Pires had ghosted into the space there, and Boa Morte didn't bother to track him back, leaving him free to head the ball down into the ground and up into the net.

But they equalised after half an hour through a stunning Malbranque volley (his 5th goal in 3 games). Although he had a great game overall, it had been Pires's loose pass on the halfway line that started their attack.

Fulham, aiming for only their second point at Highbury in 90 years, managed to keep us out for the rest of the second half. Until injury time, when 2 subs combined to set Pires up at the far post again. Van Bronkhorst's one-touch flick put Jeffers through on the left of the box, and he clipped it across goal in front of the keeper with the outside of his foot. Pires, having once again been let loose by Boa Morte's laziness or lack of concentration, was roaring in low with foot outstretched to thump it in and follow the ball into the back of the net.

As always, Pires showed his skill on and off the ball in this game. Great control, positioning, dribbling, speed.... all the stuff we've come to expect. And he popped up with 2 poacher's goals too. One could excuse Jeffers for thinking "hang on, I'm supposed to be the fox in the box". Last year he missed the end of the season through injury but still picked up a player-of-the-season award. He missed the start of this season with the same injury, but if he carries on like this then another seasonal award isn't out of the question.

Man United won at Southampton too, so Arsenal have 6 and 8 point leads over the Uniteds (Mancs and Newcastle), although they both have a game in hand. A threat from the Toon shouldn't be ruled out completely at the stage, but it could be if we get a win away at St James's in the next match.