United beaten by Henry brilliance

Arsene Wenger congratulates goalscorer Thierry Henry

Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United

A spectacular goal from Thierry Henry was enough for Arsenal to inflict Manchester United's first league defeat of the season at Highbury.

With half an hour gone, the French striker flicked the ball up on the edge of the area, swivelled and unleashed a fierce volley over United keeper Fabien Barthez.

United drove forward in search of an equaliser in the second half, but they found Tony Adams and Martin Keown in uncompromising mood in Arsenal's defence.

The result condemned United to their first back-to-back defeats in a year, coming in the same week as the 3-1 reverse against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.

The game was not one of the classic encounters between the two sides and was particularly disappointing as a spectacle for the first half hour.

Barthez, back in goal for United, provided some rare moments of excitement by coming way out of his area to play the ball.

Sheer brilliance

Keane produced United's best moment of the half after 16 minutes, hitting a powerful, dipping half-volley outside the area that Seaman tipped over his crossbar.

Shortly afterwards Parlour chose to square the ball in the area when a shot would have been a better choice, after being put through cleverly by Bergkamp.

And then Henry gloriously broke the impasse with a moment of sheer brilliance. He received a pass on the edge of the area from Grimandi, flicked it up with his left foot and swivelled to volley with his right, sending the ball high into the top corner past Barthez.

Giggs tested Seaman's reflexes at the start of the second half. He hit a powerful shot inside the area after Sheringham had cushioned a Beckham cross to him, but the England goalkeeper was alert and tipped over.

Manchester United were starting to press Arsenal back in their own half and Arsene Wenger brought on Nelson Vivas for striker Kanu in an attempt to augment his side's defences.

Late pressure

And Arsenal did have their moments. After an hour Silvinho embarked on a weaving run in Manchester United's area and got round Barthez, only to end up too wide to shoot and with no-one to pass to.

United then broke almost immediately and Sheringham should have done better when he shot over the crossbar from the edge of the area despite having plenty of time.

Barthez: Excellent late stop

Sir Alex Ferguson brought Yorke on for Sheringham and United probed for an equaliser. With ten minutes to go Beckham had a free kick from about 25 yards but hit his effort over the crossbar.

With United pressing forward, they left space at the back, and Henry had a late chance to score a second goal.

He broke forward and out-ran United's defence, but Barthez sped from his area and denied his compatriot with a brilliant sliding tackle.

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Arsenal: Seaman, Luzhny, Keown, Adams, Silvinho, Bergkamp, Grimandi, Parlour, Ljungberg, Henry, Kanu.
Subs: Dixon, Wiltord, Vivas, Lukic, Vernazza.

Man Utd: Barthez, Irwin, G. Neville, Johnsen, Silvestre, Beckham, Scholes, Keane, Giggs, Cole, Sheringham.
Subs: Butt, Bosnich, Yorke, Solskjaer, Brown.

Referee: Graham Barber (England).