Arsenal's Thierry Henry climbed off the substitutes bench to break Ipswich hearts with a 68th minute winner and announce himself in rude, good health for next week's return of Champions League action in Europe.

You could see the relief flood across the face of manager Arsene Wenger as Henry struck with all his familiar clinical finishing style in the 68th minute to cement Arsenal's second place in the Premiership ahead on Tuesday's trip to France for the must-win clash with Lyon.

It also produced luckless Ipswich's fifth defeat in a row and although they remain in the top six their top-flight honeymoon is clearly over.

Yet until Henry, who was rested last week with a thigh strain, came on the scene, their diligent defending, midfield industry and, especially, the brilliance of goalkeeper Richard Wright promised a repeat of Town's Worthington Cup triumph against an under-strength Arsenal side at Highbury in November.

That result remains Gunners' only home loss this season but for nearly an hour they were frustrated to the point of suspicion that there could be another blot on the Highbury copybook.

Wright's brave acrobatics stood between Ipswich and at least a four-goal battering in the first 25 minutes.

He stretched full length to turn away Dennis Bergkamp's superb curling effort in only the sixth minute after a lightning exchange between Gilles Grimandi and Sylvain Wiltord split Ipswich open.

Then he took off again to deny Lauren's close range header after Ray Parlour - filling in for banned Patrick Vieira in central midfield - nodded down Cole's deep cross, before turning Wiltord's volley over the top when Bergkamp again provided the ammunition by cushioning Lee Dixon's cross with his head.

Just as impressive was Wright's low leap to fingertip Ashley Cole's low drive to the comparative safety of a corner when the young full-back pounced on Robert Pires' neat ball through.

But Arsenal were also guilty of other misses which had nothing to do with the twice-capped England goalkeeper and Cameroon start Lauren twice should have done better with some of the home side's 10 first-half goal-attempts.

Encouraged by such profligacy, Ipswich sent their own Dutch forward Martijn Reuser in greater support of lone-striker Stewart and twice he almost wriggled his way through.

Arsenal were also a little lucky to survive a penalty appeal when Adams clearly handled as the powerful Titus Bramble ploughed into the area. It was a case of ball to hand but the Arsenal captain moved his arm on contact and the East Anglians had some cause to feel aggrieved by referee Rob Harris' decision to play on.

The unlikely defensive partnership of the vastly-experienced Tony Adams and raw Latvian Igors Stepanovs had started the game solidly but a few cracks began to appear and give Ipswich some encouragement.

After their worst run - four consecutive defeats, two of them in the Cups - since returning to the Premiership, it always looked a Herculean task for George Burley's team especially with Hermann Hreidarrson and Fabian Wilnis missing from defence with hamstring injuries and John McGreal suspended.

They promptly lost another defender when Gary Croft had to go off before half-time, giving Wayne Brown a Premiership debut.

Yet before Henry's belated arrival they had begun to ask serious questions with Reuser's trickery and the lurking threat of Stewart who spoiled his performance - his last before starting a three-match ban after being sent off last week - with a needless booking.

Adams had to rescue Arsenal 10 minutes after half-time when lunging low to head a delightful Mark Venus behind his own goal as James Scowcroft moved in.

And when Reuser hooked the ball over his shoulder after Scowcroft's free-kick blast had been half-repelled it arrived at the far post where Seaman had to throw himself in the way to prevent Stewart tapping over the line.

But Henry had arrived by then to give the home fans the cutting edge they had craved. And a move started by Dixon's decisive midfield tackle on Matt Holland flowed on through Parlour, Wiltord and Bergkamp before the shaven-headed Frenchman tucked his shot away.

Arsenal should have had more. Pires twice took the ball too close to Wright when he appeared on the end of cleverly-crafted breaks. Then he gave the keeper another impressive save to make with a thumping drive from distance.

And right at the death when Henry dragged the ball back from the byline, Parlour inexplicably ballooned over the top from eight yards.

Ipswich never gave up and an absorbing, high-tempo match was kept on the boil to the last with the assistance of some bizarre refereeing by Harris who missed a few likely bookings, handed out others that hardly seemed warranted and insisted on theatrically pacing out 10 yards at free-kicks.

Teams:

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Cole, Adams, Stepanovs, Grimandi, Pires, Lauren (Henry 57), Parlour, Bergkamp, Wiltord (Ljungberg 70).

Subs Not Used: Manninger, Vivas, Kanu.

Booked: Grimandi, Ljungberg.

Goals: Henry 67.

Ipswich: Richard Wright, Clapham, Venus, Croft (Brown 38), Bramble, Holland, Jermaine Wright, Magilton, Reuser (Naylor 78), Scowcroft, Stewart.

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Abidallah, Karic.

Booked: Stewart.

Att: 38,011

Ref: R Harris (Oxford).