Henry the only bright spark

English FA Premiership/Arsenal 2 Southampton 0:  Real Madrid may be casting covetous glances towards Thierry Henry, but last night he demonstrated why no amount of money will tempt Arsenal to sell the striker. By scoring his 100th and 101st Premiership goals - both controversial - Henry applied the gloss to one of his team's less eye-catching performances and moved them five points clear of Manchester United at the top.

Henry was involved in most of Arsenal's best moments and his strikes, both well taken, angered Southampton. The first looked offside, the second was powered into the top corner near the end and came after Ray Parlour seemed to have fouled Danny Higginbotham. Southampton complained hard, with manager Gordon Strachan approaching the referee afterwards, but to no avail.

Henry might have had a hat-trick, and his goals were from some of the relatively few attempts mustered on target as they struggled to find their rhythm against a Southampton side who made life hard for them. Strachan's team had chances but could not find the final touch to match their endeavour.

By the time Southampton play next, Glenn Hoddle is likely to be in charge.

A small number of anti-Hoddle placards were held up by their fans and the occasional anti-Hoddle chant could be heard.

Arsenal had given a first Premiership start to José Antonio Reyes, their recent signing from Sevilla, in the absence of the injured Dennis Bergkamp.

The opening three minutes had promised great things for the home team. Twice Pires had chances to shoot, the first from an Ashley Cole cross at the end of a neat move, but neither effort was hit with venom and Antti Niemi saved comfortably.

Pires continued to impress for a time but it did not last long. A combination of some slack Arsenal passing and Southampton's aggression made Arsène Wenger's players look unusually laboured. There was scant goal threat, and when Patrick Vieira did have a chance to shoot his effort was charged down by Michael Svensson.

Southampton were happy to turn this into a scrap, but there were moments when there was more than that to their game. A neat interchange culminated in Brett Ormerod tumbling in the box under a challenge by Kolo Touré as he tried to scamper round Jens Lehmann. The striker felt he should have had a penalty but the referee seemed to reason that Ormerod had lost control of the ball.

Given that Arsenal's best moments came down the left it was no surprise that their goal originated there. Pires sent Henry away and he skipped beyond Darren Kenton before scoring with a shot to which Niemi got a touch but could not keep out.

The Southampton back line were deliberately attempting to catch the striker offside as they looked along the line, only for the linesman's flag to mysteriously remain by his side.

Some observers suggested it could be the new laws at fault, although it is hard to imagine how anyone could be adjudged not to be interfering with play if the ball is actually passed to them.

Reyes might have added a second before half-time but dragged his effort wide.

Had the Spaniard scored Arsenal might have found it easier to exert themselves, but the second half started in similar vein to much of the opening period. Wenger's players had most of the ball but little cutting edge and Southampton threatened on the break. It needed a sharp save by Lehmann to deny Ormerod, and the goalkeeper then had to dive low to keep out a shot by Chris Baird.

At the other end, a lightning burst by Henry culminated in a cross Reyes just failed to meet.

While James Beattie and Marian Pahars added bite, Rory Delap's deflected shot, which flashed past the post, was the nearest the visitors came to an equaliser.

Arsenal needed another goal to settle the nerves but had to wait until the 90th minute for it.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Parlour, Vieira, Silva, Pires, Henry, Reyes (Clichy 74). Subs Not Used: Edu, Cygan, Stack, Bentley. Booked: Vieira, Parlour. Goals: Henry 31, 90.

SOUTHAMPTON: Niemi, Kenton, Michael Svensson, Higginbotham, Crainey, Telfer, Anders Svensson (Baird 27), Delap, Le Saux (Pahars 82), Ormerod, Phillips, Baird (Beattie 81). Subs Not Used: Smith, Hall. Booked: Baird, Niemi, Michael Svensson.

Referee: N Barry (N Lincolnshire).