Thierry Henry hit the winner to resurrect Arsenal's hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League on a night when veteran England goalkeeper David Seaman was also a hero.

Seaman looked genuine world class as he made a string of superb saves from Vikash Dhorasoo, Sonny Anderson and Steve Marlet to help the Gunners to their first win in the second-round phase - at the third time of asking.

There was even a suggestion Seaman got a finger-tip to a thundering first-half Edmilson free-kick which zipped towards his top corner and eventually landed just wide of the mark.

But it was the stop from Lyon's other Brazilian Anderson which really gave Arsenal the heart to go on and win the match and climb off the bottom of the Group C table.

Anderson - Lyon's 20-goal top scorer and once recruited by Arsene Wenger at Monaco - let go a great low drive in the 58th minute which looked destined for the far corner until Seaman launched into a torpedo dive that turned the ball away for a corner.

Two minutes later Henry grabbed the vital goal with an emphatic but unchallenged header which owed much to the wit and invention of young full-back Ashley Cole.

Lyon, so dangerous at the start, rarely looked like recovering from that.

But the hosts had looked a powerful force for the first half-hour.

Arsenal survived an early battering from the busy Lyon front pair of Anderson and Marlet, well supported by the powerful shooting of Dhorasoo.

Seaman got behind the little midfielder's 20-yard blast after Gilles Grimandi had jabbed away Anderson's threat.

The goalkeeper might have even got a fingertip to the wickedly-curling free-kick from Edmilson after Tony Adams had been booked _ in a spate of four yellow cards around the half-hour mark - for bringing down Anderson.

After a tentative start, Arsenal began to make inroads down the flanks.

Kanu looked certain to score when set up by Vieira but flashed his shot wide of the far post from eight yards.

The way the big Nigerian kicked out at an advertising board it was clear he believed he should have done much better.

There was always danger when Anderson and Marlet ran at the Arsenal defence, though. Adams timed some critical challenges immaculately but was often at full stretch, and stand-in partner Grimandi looked unsure at times when the Lyon strikers tried to turn him.

It was Grimandi's long ball just before the interval that led to Henry going within a whisker of putting Arsenal ahead.

Kanu flicked on to him and hit a cross-shot from the right which struck the far post, with previously under-employed goalkeeper Gregory Coupet still redundant.

Henry, of course, was to have his just reward for another rampaging centre-forward performance.

He buffetted the Lyon defnders with his strength and bewildered them with his pace. Even the commanding Edmilson, whom Arsenal wanted to buy in the summer, looked ruffled at times.

Yet when Henry's big moment came on the hour even the most pedestrian of strikers could have put it away.

Cole, a remarkably cool customer for just turned 20, took on opposing full-back Eric Deflandre after being found on the left by Kanu.

He not only got past his man but held off his recovery challenge when he could have gone down for a free-kick.

Then came his precise cross, and the unchallenged Henry had only to leap and nod his head to find the target.

Anderson jabbed a short-range chance straight at Seaman under pressure from Adams, and six minutes from time Marlet hooked the ball over from similar distance.

But the threat from Lyon petered out fairly quietly.

Teams:

Lyon: Coupet, Deflandre, Edmilson, Violeau (Malbranque 74), Foe, Laigle (Delmotte 83), Dhorasoo (Govou 74), Muller, Brechet, Anderson, Marlet.

Subs Not Used: Hugues, Loko, Chanelet, Linares.

Booked: Foe, Muller.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Grimandi, Cole, Lauren, Parlour, Vieira, Kanu (Vivas 90), Pires (Ljungberg 69), Henry.

Subs Not Used: Manninger, Wiltord, Malz, Luzhny, Pennant.

Booked: Cole, Adams.

Goals: Henry 58.

Att: 39,541

Ref: Urs Meier (Switzerland).