Town fell to another defeat as one of the sides immediately above them, Leicester, put a vital three points on the board. Town rarely looked like scoring despite periods of possession and forcing a large number of corners.

Freddie Ljungberg put Arsenal ahead in the first half after Henry has seized on a Bramble error. Two penalty incidents, one at each end, in the middle of the second half, both involving Ljundberg, led to the Gunners' second.

Town lined up with virtually the side which drew at Middlesbrough. In came Richard Naylor for Alun Armstrong who failed to make it after suffering a hamstring injury in the Newcastle game.

Arsenal started by far the brighter and in the fourth minute Henry chipped across the face of the goal and Makin cleared.

Just a minute later Arsenal were ahead. Titus Bramble had one if his moments of madness and played the ball to Henry halfway inside the Town half. The Frenchman kept possession, ran goalwards and threaded the ball through to Ljundberg who slipped the ball passed Sereni.

It was just the start that Town hadn't needed and it took them some while to recover. In the eighth minute Sereni saved well with his feet when Henry hit a shot from the edge of the area.

Town had their most promising moment when Naylor ran on to a ball down the right flank from Makin. The Leeds-born striker crossed into the box as Taylor ran from his goal towards him. The ball flashed across the box with the Arsenal goal empty, but Marcus Bent couldn't get to it to put it home.

Makin was again in the thick of the action a minute or so later when he headed a Vieira cross just over his own bar. Makin apologised to Sereni for giving the keeper a heart attack. Marcus Bent was injured from the resulting corner as he challenged with Kanu and Sereni. After treatment he continued.

In the 23rd minute Mark Venus hit a freekick from the right which Taylor gathered without much trouble. Two minutes later Bent had a shot from the edge of the area deflected over. Hermann Hreidarsson headed over from the corner.

On 29 Jamie Clapham arrived at the far post and headed a Jermaine Wright cross goalwards. Taylor saved, diving to his right.

In the 30th minute Kanu hit a shot high and wide from the edge of the area. Town players surrounded referee David Elleray as Naylor had clearly been impeded by a number of defenders in the run-up to Kanu's shot. It wasn't just that decision, but a number of calls which had gone Arsenal's way which were annoying the Town side.

Ray Parlour hit a shot over, while at the other end Sixto Peralta almost got on to a Jermaine Wright cross from the right.

On 33 the ball just failed to sit for Matt Holland after Peralta had played it to him inside the box. Holland headed over two minutes later after a Venus freekick had been flicked on by Naylor. Town were looking better but weren't creating the clearcut chances that they needed to get on terms.

In the 37th minute Peralta and Clapham almost got on the end of a Bent cross from the right. Swiftly afterwards Venus made a break down the left and ran in on Taylor who should have gathered the ball easily. Instead he dropped it and Venus played the ball off him for a corner. It was the first sign of the Arsenal keeper's inexperience.

Titus Bramble came close to scoring just before half-time when he headed a Venus freekick just by the post. Town were getting close to a goal, but seemed to have trouble hitting the target.

The home crowd applauded their side off at half-time despite the one-goal deficit. Town had shown moments of class and had Arsenal under pressure at times. The visitors though, looked the brighter in the attack with Henry and Ljundberg always looking dangerous.

There were no subs made at half-time. Town had the first opportunity of the second period when Holland headed over from a Clapham cross from the left. Holland will feel he could have done better and made Taylor make a save.

On 48 Taylor flapped at a Hreidarsson cross but the Arsenal defenders cleared before Town could make anything of it.

Parlour again hit over from the edge of the area on 49. At the other end Naylor had a shot blocked by a defender after Peralta had played him in on the left of the penalty area.

Two minutes later the ball rebounded to Henry who hit a shot which Sereni saved easily. Play moved quickly to the other end and Naylor missed the ball as it came across to him through a crowd of players inside the area.

A minute or so later Ljundberg was booked for pulling back Peralta inside the centre circle as Town broke forward. Ljundberg was getting a rough reception from the home crowd, partly for some of his on field antics and partly for his red stripe down the middle hairdo.

From the resulting freekick Naylor had a shot deflected wide and there was controversy from the next corner. Hermann Hreidarsson headed downwards as both he and Bramble found themselves unmarked and the ball appeared to strike Ljundberg's hand before going behind. Ljundberg had been the man on Taylor's right post. Town weren't to get a penalty as referee Elleray indicated that he thought the ball had hit Ljundberg on the lower stomach and not the hand.

Two minutes later there was penalty action at the other end. Ljundberg ran through and Venus challenged him and the Swede crashed to the ground. Referee Elleray pointed straight to the spot, giving what looked a harsh penalty. Venus was also booked for his trouble. Thierry Henry stepped up and placed the penalty past Sereni.

On the hour Kanu hit the ball high and wide as he continued to fail to get anywhere near the goal. Naylor then did much the same at the other end, although it appeared the ball had struck a defender before going out.

Three minutes later George Burley decided that changes were needed. The second Arsenal goal had knocked the stuffing out of Town. Finidi George replaced Chris Makin with Jermaine Wright going to right-back.

Taylor made his best save of the afternoon a coupe of seconds later as Jermaine Wright it a cross-shot from the right. Taylor tipped it away to the left flank.

Ray Parlour got himself in the referee's book for a nasty looking two-footed challenge on Clapham.

Pablo Couñago replaced Naylor a couple of minutes later. Parlour again shot wide on 68 while Henry was spoken to by David Elleray for getting cross with Finidi about a challenge.

On 70 Bent hit a shot wide after good work from Finidi and Wright on the right flank. Henry did similar at the other end as Arsenal broke quickly, as they often did during the second half with Town pushing up to try to get a goal back.

Mark Venus hammered a freekick against the Arsenal wall (specifically Parlour) a minute later after Bent had been fouled by Upson.

With nine minutes left Thomas Gaardsøe replaced Sixto Peralta in the centre of midfield.

Five minutes were left on the clock when Pablo Couñago played a ball in from the right which Marcus Bent just failed to connect with.

Town weren't really testing Taylor despite being allowed a lot of the ball. Arsenal broke swiftly when Town's moves broke down and they looked dangerous each time.

In the last minute of normal time Finidi hit shot which Taylor saved down to his left.

Despite four minutes injury time (largely time-wasting time in reality) Town couldn't conjure a goal and Arsenal went home with the a professionally won three points. The away side weren't ever forced to play at their best as first a Town error and then a generous refereeing decision gave them the advantage.

Town showed some good moments, particularly in the first half, but again lacked the final ball and a cutting edge. The lack of confidence was clear to see as was a reluctance on the part of several players to take a pot-shot from the edge of the area.

One plus was the appearance and performance of Finidi George who played one or two neat balls, as well as making a couple of mazy runs and showing a few tricks. He is almost certain to go into the side for next week's game against Newcastle, if not the UEFA Cup game in Milan.

Another week goes by and Town are still in the bottom three. The revivial has to start soon or it could be too late.

Photo: Action Images

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