Arsene Wenger stuck with the team that got the point at Old Trafford, with the exception of Wiltord for Bergkamp who was injured. So, a second successive non-start for Robert Pires.

And they started well, creating several chances in a dominant opening spell. A nie move after just 2 minutes ended with Ashley Cole popping up in the box on the left. He didn't hit the cross well but it bounced awkwardly just in front of Given who could only palm it on and was lucky that it didn't land nicely for Wiltord making a late run in at the far post. A minute later Keown had to make a far post clearance from a free-kick from their right, but then we had some more attacks.

After a very patient spell of possession Wiltord got the ball to the goal-line and his cutback was cleared unconvincingly fromt he near post. It came back to Arsenal a few yards outside the box, and ref Mike Riley lew up for our foul against Newcastle just as we looked like making space for a chance. He went on to fail to play a clear advantage when Arsenal were in possession at least 2 more more times in the match.

It was at this point, on 10 minutes, that the heavens opened. And the torrential rain seemed to affect both teams' control and footing.

Henry cut in fromn the left wing and hit s surprise near post shot from the edge of the box, which Given punched away well. Then on 28 minutes there was a goalmouth scramble in which Henry Ljungberg and especially Parlour did well to keep the attack alive, but never quite got enough control to make a clear-cut chance.

But almost immediately, a diagonal cross came back in from the right wing. It didn't look particularly dangerous as it was coming straight for Titus Bramble on the near corner of the 6 yard box. But he just waved a boot at it, allowing it to bounce through and beyond the far post where Henry was on hand to knock it first-time into the empty net from a narrow angle.

Both Vieira and Cole had had short spells of treatmenbt off the pitch, and a few minutes after the opening goal the skipper had to go off, replaced by Edu. The change seemed to throw Arsenal off balance, as Newcastle equalised immediately with a goal which was well-worked but which capitalised on some sloppy marking. Dyer's cut back from the goal-line on the right was turned in at point-blank range by Laurent Robert (or possibly the boot of a defender trying to get in front of him).

The equaliser threw Arsenal even more off-kilter and we were living on our nerves for a spell. Olivier Bernad hit a low sot form their left which Lehmann got down well to save. A few minutes before the end of the half Gilberto broke into their box through a neat 1-2. He rode a tackle to get to the goal-line and crossed to Wiltord who was heavily marked on the 6 yard line right in front of the goal. He seemed to get a touch but somehow the ball just stopped dead in front of him and was cleared. I guess maybe one of the defenders got a touch too.

5 minutes into the second half Ljungberg profited from another defensive slip (literally, I think it was Bramble again who fell over just outside his box). With Given coming out to narro the angle Freddie chipped him nicely, but it came back off the left hand post. Then Cole had to come off, and (despite Juan's recall from Millwall) it was Cygan who was on the bench and came back in to take over at left back. A significant sign of Wenger's confidence on Toure at centre-back, that he was left there.

To be fair, Cygan (in his first game this year) didn't too at all bad. His first touch was a bit scary though, when he only just got away with playing the ball out of defence after it had been rather unnecessarily passed across to him even though he was marked.

Quarter of an hour into the second half and Ray was brought off for Pires, with Freddie moving over to the right wing from the left. A curious decision. We had been missing the passing ability of Pires and Bergkamp, with no-one being quite able to supply the right balls for Henry and Freddie to run onto. But It didn't seem to make a lot of sense to remove Ray rather than Freddie or Wiltord. Tactics aside, the substitution backfired somewhat soon after.

Freddie won a free-kick when hacked down by Bernard, as he made a break down the right wing. Pires hit the free-kick over from a perfect deep position just in from the corner, and Gilberto rose in the middle of the box to drill a header into the middle of the goal.

But Freddie was hurt. He spent a couple of spells after that having treatment off the pitch, but most of the rest of the match he spent limping or even hopping around the centre-circle, trying to avoid the ball. With all subs used, I guess there was some sense in leaving him on the field. But it could have backfired badly if he'd picked up a further knock, and to be frank it looked like his presence was more of a distraction to Arsenal than to Newcastle.

And again, a few minutes after we went ahead, they pulled it back. Dyer again created it, with a a ball forward into the box on their left, for Bernard whose run had been missed by the defence. Keown almost made it over in time to block the shot, but Bernard caught the shot very nicely and Lehmann had no chance as it rocketed past him high inside the near post.

It looked very much like being another 2 points dropped, if not 3. But with 12 minutes to go Henry won a free-kick over on the left touchline, which he whipped towards the far post. He over-hit it a bit, but Given had to take no chances and palmed it out for a corner. When the corner came in from our right, high over the penalty spot, Jermaine Jenas rose highest and connected with the ball with a raised arm. Quite unnecessary and a cast-iron if somewhat peculiar penalty.

Henry saw Given move to his left as he ran up to take the pen, and chipped it softly down the middle for 3-2, a lead which we did well to hang onto with (effectively) 10 very knackered looking men.

To be fair, Newcastle had every excuse to be more knackered than us, and if anything they showed it less. It's hard to believe that they're second from bottom, but it's early days and they started badly last year too. There's every reason to expect them to be in the European placings again at the end of the season.