Arsenal sing from same song sheet

Nonetheless, he found it necessary to direct a few choice words at his team in the dressing room after a lacklustre first-half performance had the 46,000 crowd in the impressive City of Manchester Stadium speculating on a day of double triumph followingthe defeat of their local rivals United at Southampton.

Lauren, nudged by Trevor Sinclair as he tried to shepherd a through pass towards his own goal, stumbled and directed the ball past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Arsenal rarely looked like recovering the situation until the 39th minute when a Ljungberg cross fell invitingly for Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman, perhaps caught by surprise, failed to control the ball and the opportunity was lost but moments later Ljungberg tested his old teammate David Seaman with a rising drive that the former Arsenal goalkeeper tipped over the bar.

That was the sum total of Arsenal's response until Wenger spoke to them at half-time. "We were not sharp enough at the front," he said. "We were playing within ourselves. We were simply not determined enough and I told them that they had to give more in the second half."

Maybe the 4am fire alarm in the squad's hotel in the early hours of Sunday had an effect, but Wenger wasn't using disturbed sleep as an excuse. Instead, he decided to play a more direct game after the interval and the reward came almost immediately. A Robert Pires cross from the left was touched on by the industrious Ashley Cole and Sylvain Wiltord nipped in to shoot a low, angled shot past Seaman.

Suddenly Arsenal were all singing from the same song sheet once more. Once again Kolo Toure looked formidable in the heart of a defence that has conceded just one goal in their opening four games. Credit for that must also go to German goalkeeper Lehmann who at the moment looks the best of those who have tried to succeed Seaman.

Pires squandered an opportunity when he volleyed Cole's cross over the bar in the 67th minute but it was Ljungberg who finally sealed all three points four minutes later. There was some consolation for Keegan whose team lost 5-1 to Arsenal in their old Maine Road Stadium in February. "We're improving," he smiled.

For Wenger there is the knowledge that his team are getting nicely into their stride as they prepare to meet United at Old Trafford in three weeks.