Charlton Athletic - 1 Arsenal - 3: No one should underestimate how important the past five days have been for Arsenal. It is not just that the champions have collected six points from potentially tricky trips to Newcastle and Charlton. They have also seen signs that Patrick Vieira is reawakening, and everybody at Highbury recognises the significance of that.

"When Patrick Vieira is at his best," Thierry Henry said, "this team can go a long way."

If Arsenal are to overhaul Chelsea, they will surely need Vieira at his most effective. The midfielder has had an unremarkable season, apparently hampered by an ankle problem, but that could be changing. The captain's winning goal and strong display at St James' Park were followed by a good contribution here. If Vieira is not yet at his peak, he seems to be on the road back.

The Frenchman has been almost ignored of late when debate has touched on the issue of the league's most influential midfielder, with Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Liverpool's Steven Gerrard hogging the attention.

Without dominating this game, Vieira suggested he might come back into the picture. By setting up Arsenal's first goal he shook off his ordinary start and in the second half he was a key figure in repelling Charlton.

Henry and Arsene Wenger referred to his performance as "immense". That was a slight overstatement but fair in the context of Vieira's campaign so far.

"For a while he was not right," Wenger said, putting that down to physical problems rather than a hangover from last summer's long-running transfer saga with Real Madrid. "Today I feel he was technically and physically as good as he can be."

Henry was equally forthright. "I know he got a bit of stick after the Liverpool game," the striker said, "when people were saying he was not on his game, getting too many yellow and red cards, this and that. But our last two wins were essentially down to him."

Not exactly. Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure were excellent in central defence on Saturday, Freddie Ljungberg scored twice to give someone other than himself a headache, and Robin van Persie enjoyed his best game yet for the club. He had a role in two goals and then finished well to settle the match.

Arsenal may not be at their most imperious but this fourth straight victory shows they have rediscovered the winning habit. They are also playing with a useful ruggedness, and in the midst of that are flashes of brilliance.

Their second goal was wonderfully constructed and taken, even if Charlton complained that van Persie should have been given offside before he picked out Cesc Fabregas, whose backheeled pass was swept in by Ljungberg.

Having struggled to eclipse Charlton before the interval, Arsenal produced the sort clinical, resilient second half that would have earned far more praise last season, when people were marvelling at the unbeaten run rather than looking for faults.

Charlton defended poorly at key moments, with Jonathan Fortune having a wretched afternoon, and had accepted defeat a little way before the end. They are hamstrung by a lack of a reliable goal threat but played with good intensity for a long while. Arsenal matched that and largely nullified the wingers Jerome Thomas and Dennis Rommedahl.

"We are winning games not playing well," Henry said. "At Newcastle it was a difficult game and even today it wasn't a win like we used to do, by destroying teams with our passing. Today was about commitment and desire, and Patrick was the man who set the tone."

It was from Vieira's cross that Ljungberg, allowed too much room by Fortune, gave Arsenal the lead. The Arsenal captain then conceded the free-kick which was tapped aside for Talal El Karkouri, Charlton's best player, to equalise blisteringly from 30 yards. But Wenger's players responded.

After Ljungberg scored again to leave Charlton manager Alan Curbishley calling for the interpretation of offside to be "sorted out", another Fortune error enabled van Persie to strike.

Charlton must recover to play at Blackburn today. Arsenal are at home to Manchester City tomorrow and could well be without Campbell, who hurt an ankle to leave Swiss under-21 international Philippe Senderos on stand-by for his first Premiership start.