Before Arsene Wenger arrived and long before the Emirates was built, the Gunners were famous to a generation of supporters for shutting up shop and winning by the odd, poached goal – usually from Ian Wright.

At the weekend, Sunderland did much the same – Bent instead of Wright grabbed the goal and the Wearsiders' defence, marshalled by two international captains, prevented Arsenal scoring in the Premier League for the first time all season.

"Boring, boring Arsenal" was the chant from opposition fans in those days as the Londoners ground out yet another win, but there was nothing dull about Saturday's game, despite the 1-0 scoreline.

It's impossible to imagine a boring game featuring the current Gunners side. Since Wenger replaced George Graham at the helm, the name Arsenal has become a byword for some of the most attractive and engaging play in world football.

Despite being under-strength and under-par on Saturday, Arsenal's fluid, athletic play was still a joy to watch – only the cutting edge was missing.

The visitors went into the game without key goalscorer Robin van Persie and fellow striker Nicklas Bendtner, both injured, but that was never going to nullify what remains easily the Premier League's most prolific side and one in which no less than 17 individuals have scored this season.

Sunderland's team selection recognised that fact and, in particular, the danger presented by a free-scoring midfield which included star man and captain Cesc Fabregas, the scorer of nine goals already this term.

Steve Bruce persisted with the five-man midfield which performed so well at Spurs in its last outing, skipper Lorik Cana restored to the middle after suspension as Fraizer Campbell made way.

In defence, fit-again John Mensah replaced suspended Michael Turner and keeper Marton Fulop came in for the injured Craig Gordon.

Despite having well over 40,000 fans behind them from the start, Sunderland started understandably tentatively against a team which had scored 11 goals in their last three games and the Gunners almost took immediate advantage.

In the fifth minute, Andy Reid's poor ball forward was cut out and Arsenal attacked down the right, with Bacary Sagna's cross being athletically bicycle-kicked back across goal at the far post by Fabregas – Tomas Rosicky driving the resulting shot goalwards from 10 yards out, only to be denied by the shins of Fulop.

It was a good save at the time, but it improved as the game went on, when it became apparent that chances for either side would be few and far between.

Fulop's save, as it turned out, had been crucial; Sunderland started to gain some traction.

Mensah's emphatic sliding tackle on Rosicky soon after, which the Czech hurdled, set a bench-mark.

And, after Fabregas had tried his luck with a curling shot from the left-hand channel which Fulop watched over the bar, the quarter-hour mark came up with Sunderland tackles finally stirring the home crowd into life.

The hosts attacked and twice Steed Malbranque was presented with chances unmarked on the right of goal from left-wing crosses. Both times he blasted wide.

But the best chances before the break came the way of free-flowing Arsenal, who came within a whisker of taking the lead just after the half-hour when Alexandre Song was allowed to run to from deep in a
classic Gunners move.

He and Eduardo twice interchanged passes on the edge of the Sunderland area before the striker chipped a ball goalwards which beat Fulop but dropped narrowly wide – Song, who had continued his run, just unable to turn it in at the keeper's right-hand post.

Arsenal attacked again on 37 minutes, Rosicky zipping a fine pass down the left wing to Armand Traore, whose cross was headed clear by Da Silva but only as far as Aaron Ramsey, whose shot powered into the turf from 18 yards and up into Fulop's gloves.

Sunderland were not regularly under the cosh, though, and with Mensah growing into the game and Da Silva classy in the heart of defence, the home team looked well set for the second half, having managed to reach the break with the game goalless.

Play resumed with Sunderland clearly determined to be more confident going forward and they played positively, carving out the best chance before the hour when Andy Reid's free-kick from 35 yards, on the right of goal, flew just a yard wide.

Even so, keeper Manuel Almunia had his post covered, moving to his left and the 60-minute mark came up with Sunderland still to muster a shot on target.

With the sides at stalemate, changes were made, Andrey Arshavin replaced Ramsey; the fresh legs of Campbell were brought on for
Malbranque.

And, with less than 20 minutes remaining, the game's pivotal moment came when a searching ball from Kieran Richardson allowed Reid to win a corner.

The Irishman delivered the ball from the left and Bent could only glance a header across the face of goal.

But the ball struck the unmarked Campbell, at the far post, on the shin, bounced back across the six-yard box and it was the England striker who reacted quickest, Bent clipping a rising shot over Almunia from four yards out for his ninth goal in 13 league starts this season.

It was the Wearsiders' first shot on target – and it was the mark of Bent's quality that the finishing was so emphatic.

Predictably, the storm came as the remainder of the match settled into Sunderland seeking to contain Arsenal and the Gunners looking to blow the Black Cats away.

Wenger responded with an immediate double substitution – Eduardo and Rosicky being replaced by Carlos Vela and Theo Walcott – and the changes had an instant impact, with Sunderland's goal under siege and several chances created before Thomas Vermaelen fired a spectacular volley across goal from a narrow angle, the shot just missing the target.

Sunderland counter-attacked when possible and went close in the 80th minute when Bent found sub Bolo Zenden left of goal and the midfielder fired a first-time shot off target.

But it was Arsenal who posed the far greater threat.

They might have equalised late on – Arshavin not quite getting to a Song ball over the top from inside the six-yard box on 86 minutes, then a ball whipped in from the left was missed by Fabregas and Arshavin as it flashed across goal 60 seconds later.

With Arsenal pressing, Sunderland almost grabbed a second goal in the 89th minute when Bent found Zenden with a crossfield ball to the left.

The Dutchman's low centre was blocked at the near post and rolled loosely across the Arsenal six-yard box before it was cleared.

At the death, Arsenal might have got out of jail just as they did in this fixture last season with a late equaliser, but referee Alan Wiley rightly chose not to award a penalty when sub Vela went down under a clumsy Campbell challenge.

None of the Arsenal players appealed, and Sunderland steered themselves through to record their first win in five games.

Overall, it was the spine of Sunderland's team which impressed.

Fulop did exactly what he needed to in goal, Da Silva especially and Mensah were rocks at the back, Henderson worked his socks off to shackle Fabregas, Cana marauded effectively and Bent popped up with that all-important goal.

Arsenal's one-time goal machine Ian Wright, now a motor-mouth pundit, questioned Bent's England credentials in the wake of the previous Saturday's non-event friendly against Brazil in Qatar.

But Bent showed exactly what he was about on Saturday in a way that Wright would have recognised from his own playing days – one real chance, one classily converted goal and his team-mates behind him did the rest.

It was a classic, old-style Arsenal performance from Steve Bruce's side and no-one would have held it against their fans if they'd streamed away from the Stadium of Light singing "1-0, to the Sun-der-land."