Live Commentary

93mins

It's full time. Robert Pires' penalty strike gives Arsenal all three points.

92mins

Micah Richards' half-volley is wide of the post.

90mins

There's three minutes of added time.

89mins

Etame Mayer Lauren clears Arsenal's lines from Sun Jihai's free-kick.

87mins

Mathieu Flamini slams a shot against the upright.

84mins

Sun Jihai and Micah Richards come on for Danny Mills and Kiki Musampa.

82mins

Darius Vassell is just unable to make contact with the ball as he tries a volley.

80mins

Dennis Bergkamp is shown yellow.

78mins

Darius Vassell sees his header into the back of the net ruled out for offside.

76mins

Thierry Henry is caught offside.

73mins

Lee Croft replaces Claudio Reyna for City.

73mins

Danny Mills makes a crucial challenge to deny Robert Pires.

71mins

Arsenal are awarded a penalty for Stephen Jordan challenge on Dennis Bergkamp, but Robert Pires tries to play a dummy and gives away a free-kick.

68mins

Claudio Reyna's right-foot shot is a couple of yards wide.

66mins

Antoine Sibierski's shot off balance is comfortably saved by David James.

64mins

Kiki Musampa is booked.

63mins

Gilberto Silva goes into the referee's notebook.

61mins

Robert Pires gives Arsenal the lead from the spot, slamming the ball into the roof of the net.

60mins

Arsenal are awarded a penalty for a David James challenge on Thierry Henry.

57mins

Gael Clichy's square ball is cut out by Stephen Ireland.

55mins

Antoine Sibierski is receiving treatment for a knock.

53mins

Antoine Sibierski's header is punched away by Jens Lehmann.

51mins

Danny Mills' long ball forward goes over the head of Antoine Sibierski into the hands of Jens Lehmann.

49mins

Robert Pires' corner is punched away by David James.

47mins

Robert Pires is booked for Arsenal and Danny Mills is booked for City

46mins

Mike Riley gets the second half underway.

45mins

Referee Mike Riley brings the half to a close.

44mins

David James gets to the ball ahead of Cesc Fabregas.

43mins

Thierry Henry is caught offside.

41mins

Danny Mills is fouled by Gilberto Silva.

38mins

Dennis Bergkamp can't control Etame Mayer Lauren ball across the face of goal.

36mins

Darius Vassell is shown a yellow card.

35mins

Kiki Musampa fires a left-foot shot inches wide of the upright.

33mins

Etame Mayer Lauren's scuffed left-foot shot is comfortably saved by David James

31mins

Etame Mayer Lauren's ball in is slightly overhit and goes out for a goal-kick.

29mins

Kiki Musampa's first-time shot is saved by Jens Lehmann.

28mins

Thierry Henry is denied by a last ditch tackle

26mins

Antoine Sibierski's deflected shot goes out for a corner

25mins

Joey Barton goes into the referee's notebook.

23mins

Antoine Sibierski long pass forward is overhit.

21mins

Stephen Ireland times his challenge on Cesc Fabregas perfectly.

19mins

Darius Vassell is crowded out on the edge of the penalty area.

17mins

Claudio Reyna finds Danny Mills on the right flank.

15mins

Gael Clichy's low ball into the penalty area cleared away by David Sommeil

13mins

Thierry Henry plays a square ball for Robert Pires, but Pires shoots high over the cross-bar when well placed.

11mins

Gael Clichy's ball for Robert Pires goes just behind the Frenchman

9mins

Kiki Musampa's cross is cut out by Kolo Toure

7mins

Dennis Bergkamp's ball to the near post is cleared by Sylvain Distin

5mins

Thierry Henry's pass with the outside of his left foot is slightly overhit

3mins

Mathieu Flamini can't get onto the end of Robert Pires's chipped ball forward

2mins

Danny Mills' long ball forward is to strong and is collected by Jens Lehmann

0mins

Referee Mike Riley gets the game underway

Match Report

The Arsenal fans came to honour record-breaking Thierry Henry but they finished the afternoon gnawing at their nails after a game of two penalties - one converted by Robert Pires, the second farcically missed.

Henry, Arsenal's new all-time top scorer, received a silver cannon from the previous record holder, Ian Wright before kick-off.

He won the 61st-minute penalty that decided the match. But he had few chances to shine against well-organised City, who showed spiky determination, in the image of their manager Stuart Pearce.

Arsenal have made their worst Premiership start for seven years. But this win takes them to sixth, a point behind City. They already trail Chelsea by 11 points though.

Dennis Bergkamp returned along with Henry - who made his first start after groin trouble. Cesc Fabregas moved to the right of midfield with Mathieu Flamini partnering Gilberto in the centre.

City had to reshuffle their defence in the absence of knee victim Richard Dunne, Nedum Onuoha and Ben Thatcher. Sylvain Distin did his very best to plug the gaps.

Striker Andy Cole, who began his career at Arsenal, had to drop out because of a late injury.

Pearce, the former England left-back, has noticeably tightened City's defence. They have now gone 17 Premiership matches without conceding more than one goal in a game. They marked aggressively and closed space with enthusiasm.

But they lacked punch in Cole's absence. Pearce used Darius Vassell as a lone striker with Antoine Sibierski supporting from midfield. But the service to him was sporadic and the ball too often failed to stick.

Arsenal began by zipping the ball around. Bergkamp's diagonal pass picked out Lauren whose near post cross was hacked away by Distin as Flamini closed in.

Pires missed a great chance in the 14th minute, blazing wide from ten yards after Henry broke on the left and squared the ball across.

Pires and Henry went down under tough challenges from Danny Mills and Joey Barton. Pires looked rattled by Mills' attention.

Arsenal continued to dominate but they over-elaborated in the congested midfield. Fabregas kept drifting inside to add to the congestion.

The Gunners began to grow frustrated. Arsene Wenger rose from the dug-out to urge them to calm down - and to remonstrate with the fourth official about the visitors' aggression.

Arsenal, without Patrick Vieira's physical presence, can be rattled by robust opponents.

Henry tried a spectacular overhead kick, failed by inches to find Bergkamp with a throughball and then picked out Lauren who shot weakly at David James.

Vassell pounced as Pascal Cygan failed to clear James' long kick, but dragged his shot wide of the far post. That was City's best chance.

The Gunners finished the half with another intricate move, which ended with James saving at Fabregas' feet.

Mills and Pires were booked as tempers flared after the restart. Bergkamp flicked out at Mills and Lauren's mis-hit cross seemed to sum up Arsenal's frustration.

The game turned on the first penalty. Kolo Toure strode forward and Henry broke into the box. The French maestro was running away from goal, but James brought him down, referee Mike Riley pointed to the spot and Pires lashed the kick into the roof of the net.

The goal did not settle Arsenal though, who still struggled to find their rhythm. Their nerves were set jangling by a second penalty 11 minutes later that was missed in bizarre circumstances.

Bergkamp burst into the box, beat Kiki Musampa and then went down under Stephen Jordan's challenge.

Riley awarded a second penalty but this time Pires ran up, seemed to dummy the keeper, grazed the ball with his studs, stopped as City defenders ran into the box - and Riley awarded a free-kick against him.

The fans were stunned. Wenger stood amazed - this was no way to celebrate his 56th birthday.

An offside flag rescued Arsenal minutes later after Vassell headed in Musampa's cross and it looked a marginal decision.

Vassell stubbed a volley wide minutes later with debut-making 17-year-old Micah Richards joining him in attack with five minutes left.

Arsenal almost punished them on the counter-attack. Henry's pass split the defence and James made another fine save at Fabregas' feet. Flamini hit the post in the 89th minute after another Henry break.

So often-flustered Arsenal continued their amazing run of 18 games unbeaten against City. Feisty City clearly missed Cole's threat - but no-one will relish meeting Pearce's side.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Sylvain Distin (Manchester City) - He was outstanding in a City defence that was missing several key performers. His tidy and unfussy play often frustrated a misfiring Gunners strikeforce.

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides