Trailing 1-0 at the break at the White Hart Lane home of arch-rivals Tottenham, the Gunners hit back with a devastating second-half salvo to claim all three points.

Two goals from Emmanuel Adebayor either side of Cesc Fabregas' 80th-minute rocket cancelled out Gareth Bale's 15th-minute opener as the visitors finally made the most of their chances.

A first derby victory without talismanic striker Henry following his departure for Barcelona cemented a solid start to the season and left Wenger confident about the future.

He said: "Having lost Thierry, it has helped the belief and mental strength of the team to start well.

"We never forget Thierry, but we know that the team is blossoming and growing. There is something in the side: quality, of course, but also mental strength. I hope the good form continues.

"At half-time, I could not complain because all we did wrong was not to take our chances. I felt that if we kept the pace high, we would have a good chance of winning."

But while Wenger, who earlier this month signed a three-year contract extension, left Spurs content with his lot, opposite number Martin Jol did so with the pressure on his shoulders increasing by the day.

He said: "I can only listen to what (chairman) Daniel Levy is telling me.

"Provided we play good football and get the results, there is no problem.

"If you don't get the results, you have to analyse what is going wrong."

Manchester City moved to within a point of Arsenal thanks to Michael Johnson's second-half winner against Aston Villa yesterday.

Fellow midfielder Dietmar Hamann insists the club must keep up their excellent start to the season at Eastlands to have any hope of qualifying for Europe.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's men have so far won three out of three at home with no goals conceded.

Hamann told Sky Sports: "Last year, we had a very bad home record, and I think that's key this year - to pick up enough points and wins, get a few wins away from home."

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho had no doubts about what had gone wrong after his side were denied what would have been a winning goal at home to Blackburn in a game which ended 0-0.

Mourinho was furious at assistant referee Peter Kirkup's decision to rule out Salomon Kalou's second-half strike for offside, with television replays suggesting it shoud have stood.

He said: "We scored a great goal. Only the linesman can tell us why he disallowed the goal.

"I told the linesman I would be waiting for his phone call to apologise."

One goal was enough for champions Manchester United to maintain their solid start to the season, although it took a defender to clinch the points at Everton when Nemanja Vidic headed home seven minutes from time.

Early-season pace-setters Liverpool came away from Portsmouth with a point after Jose Reina had saved Kanu's first-half penalty to ensure the game ended goalless.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp said: "If you take a point from the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal, you are never going to complain because they are top teams."

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones marked his home debut with his first goal for the club on a day when Wearside saluted the late Ian Porterfield, Ross Wallace wrapping up a 2-1 victory over Reading, for whom Dave Kitson scored five minutes from time.

North-east neighbours Middlesbrough were trounced 3-0 at West Ham with Dean Ashton scoring his first goal in 16 months after Lee Bowyer and a Luke Young own goal had put the home side in control.

Wigan snatched a point at home to Fulham when Jason Koumas converted an 80th-minute penalty following Clint Dempsey's 11th-minute opener, although the home side's afternoon was soured when it was confirmed England frontman Emile Heskey had fractured a metatarsal.

But it was all smiles at Heskey's former club Birmingham as Olivier Kapo fired them to a 1-0 win over beleagured Bolton at St Andrews.