Cesc Fabregas ensured Sven Goran Eriksson's dream return to English football came to a shuddering halt as the Spaniard earned Arsenal a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.
Fabregas pocketed his first goal of the season with just nine minutes remaining at the Emirates stadium to keep Arsenal's impressive start to the season rolling on.
The young midfielder's clinical finish also spared the blushes of Robin van Persie, who saw a second-half penalty well saved by City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
The Dane's heroics had looked certain to keep Eriksson's side level on points at the top of the Premier League table, but despite seeing his side concede points and a goal for the first time this campaign, the Swede will still depart north London encouraged by his side's spirited performance.
Arsenal, meanwhile, were merely grateful to have survived an exacting afternoon.
Wenger had been forced to reshuffle his back four moments before kick-off after Philippe Senderos withdrew through injury, while Bacary Sagna hobbled off clutching his back following an early collision with Mathieu Flamini.
Eriksson's side started the match with all the confidence of league leaders, zipping around passes with pace and precision and teaching their more vaunted hosts a thing or two about penetrating forward play.
All that was missing was a finish. Martin Petrov had the game's first clear chance, blazing wide from 10 yards after neat build-up play from Michael Johnson, while Emile Mpenza should have done far better than slice wide of the right-hand post with only Manuel Almunia to beat.
When Elano bobbled a tame shot straight at Almunia from 18 yards, with colleagues screaming for a pass on either side, Wenger felt compelled to leap out of his dug-out and berate his players.
It worked. Within moments, a slick exchange involving Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor ended with the Spaniard tearing down the right flank and fizzing a ball across the six-yard box that just evaded van Persie.
Arsenal were beginning to buzz but City stood firm, thanks largely to Micah Richards and Richard Dunne. Eriksson's centre-halves have been inspired all season and they were impressive again here, with Richards deflecting wide a low drive from Tomas Rosicky and Dunne blocking a similar effort from van Persie.
By now familiar rumblings of discontent were reverberating around the Emirates Stadium and the anxiety increased with every City counter-attack.
The visitors twice broke free from Arsenal's stranglehold in the first 15 minutes of the second half, but on both occasions they were thwarted.
First the impressive Petrov sent a shot skidding inches past the right-hand post and then Mpenza, set free by Stephen Ireland's pass, saw his shot bravely smothered by Almunia.
The miss seemed certain to cost City dearly when Arsenal were awarded a 66th-minute penalty after Richards, for once, mis-timed a tackle on Alexander Hleb.
Van Persie duly stepped up but Schemichel sprung to his left and saved with his legs.
Arsenal's luck appeared to have run dry but they found a saviour in Fabregas.
The Spain star had endured a rare off-day until the 80th minute when he collected Hleb's pass on the right side of the City penalty area and struck a powerful shot, which left Schemichel grasping at thin air at his near post.
