Some headlines and reports tomorrow will no doubt focus on Sol Campbell's sending off and coming suspension - which could reach 5 or 6 games I guess if the charge over the charity shield clash holds up. But the 25th minute red card was for a "professional foul" not any kind of violence, so he certainly doesn't deserve any additional vitriol ovcer this one.

Hard to say if the sending off was deserved though, from the other end of the pitch. Gravesen had made a good run through the middle and Sol's challenge was certainly a bit clumsy. It looked from the Clock End like there might have been other defenders close by, but the ref judged Sol to be the last man, and he was a lot closer than me. I guess it was good for us that he managed to get the challenge in just outside the box rather than in it. As things turned out, Arsenal played a hell of a lot better with 10 men, but if we'd been having to come back from a goal down it could have turned out very different.

Up to the red card it had been a bit scrappy. Arsenal had dominated without creating anything clear-cut. The best chance of that opening spell fell, against the run of play, to Everton on 7 minutes. Cole was caught out on the left and a low cross was turned goalwards from the 6 yard line. But Lehmann did very well to make a point-blank block low to his left.

After the red card Keown came on for Wiltord (who had looked pretty lively). Kolo Toure played very well again, and if the 2 of them can stay fit (and available) we could well cope without Sol.

Arsenal upped the tempo and had a penalty claim turned down on 30 minutes. Thierry and Bob had got in each others way a bit on the edge of the box but Pires ended up taking it forward. It looked like a good claim to me when he went down but the ref was very well placed. A few minutes later Henry found himself on the right of the box and whipped in a cross which a defender blocked with an instinctive raising of his left arm. Henry dispatched the penalty low and central as Wright dived to his left. Thierry could have got into trouble as he celebrated by whipping his shirt off and going straight over to wind up the away fans.

A few minutes later some fantastic interplay from Cole Freddie and Bob on the left culminated in a Ljungberg cross being glanced just wide of the far post by Bobby's head from the penalty spot. Then Vieira got himself a yellow card with a silly late tackle.

Arsenal dominated but not without a scary moment or 2. Radzinski looked the most dangerous and hit a thunderbolt from outside the D which his fellow striker Chadwick couldn't get out of the way of. Fortunately the deflection ballooned it up and over the bar.

In injury time Henry intercepted a cross-field ball on the halfway line and raced forward. Unselfishly he squared it for Gilberto who was in space just inside the box but the Brazilian's touch was heavy and it ran out for a goal kick.

Early in the second half a crafty chip towards the far post from Pires won a corner from which Vieira placed a free header wide.

12 minutes in Cole did some amazing defending to win the ball and stop a dangerous looking break, only to give the ball straight back. No-one closed down Radzinski but his low drive flashed wide of the far post. Rooney came off the bench.

Just after that, Vieira hit a long shot which was blocked just inside the box. It fell to Pires who poked it back to Gilberto. His shot got through and when Wright failed to clear it Pires had followed in to turn it in for a well-deserved 2-0 lead.

An Henry freekick from the right made it through to the 6 yard line where it was turned goalwards, Wright reached up to make one of several great saves. 20 minutes to go, Parlour came on for Pires.

Henry had hit a couple of first-half free kicks over the bar, but it was still surprising when he let Freddie take one from the left of the box. He curled it towards the top left corner and Wright did brilliantly (and bravely) to get over and tip it onto the post.

With 6 minutes to go we let them get one back. There was a bit of a traffic jam in the D but they won it and the ball came right to Radzinski. He was in miles of space and gace Lehmann no chance with a low shot.

In the dying minutes Everton sub Lie Tie joined Sol in the early bath club with a second yellow card, just after that Yobo missed a free header in the box from a corner.

We have to be happy with this result and performance. Although not everyone was up to full speed, there were plenty of signs of Arsenal style, and more importantly a great attitude once we were down to 10. The only one who worried me was Gilberto wo looked a bit slow and loose most of the time, but he did hit that shot in to create what turned out to be the winning goal.

Lehmann's league debut was assured, and we hope his warm-up tumbling turns into a trademark! He was a little slow on a couple of crosses, but excellent on a few more. Looks confident overall. Of course, it's too early to tell, as the presence of a clearly improved (since he was with us) Richard Wright at the other end demonstrates. Wrighty kept the score respectable, but apart from him and perhaps Radzinski there was nothing on show to create any optimism for the Toffees' season.