Stefan Wermuth/Reuters

So now we know. If you wish to substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, you do it with two minutes to go, with your team in the lead, and you bring on Thierry Henry. Signal joyous whoops all round. As it happened, the idea of any kind of happy ending was difficult to imagine at half‑time, as Arsenal trailed 2-0 and appeared to be on their way to yet another crushing blow after three straight Premier League defeats.

All reason pointed towards gloom. Few inside the stadium would have backed Arsenal to rebound from another punishing spell on the ropes. As Arsène Wenger admitted: "When you don't win, belief goes."

But against all expectation, the players rallied during the interval in the bowels of the Emirates Stadium, found reserves of courage to disprove...

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