Arsenal went top of the Barclaycard Premiership for the first time this year after finally overcoming a resilient Derby at Highbury.

Robert Pires prodded in the only goal deep into the second half just when it looked as though John Gregory's side were about to prevent them overtaking Manchester United at the summit.

Arsene Wenger's side had not finished a match ahead of the rest in the title race since Pires scored in December's win over Middlesbrough.

Thierry Henry, Arsenal's 28-goal talisman, returned after missing Saturday's success at Newcastle with a groin problem.

Derby, for their part, belied their status as the top-flight's second-bottom club and the fact they were without Fabrizio Ravanelli, who was reportedly nursing a thigh injury.

Gregory, who has been critical of club officialdom's decisions to agree to this game just 50 hours after the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, could hardly have asked more of his young side.

Henry, who scored twice in the 2-0 victory at Pride Park earlier this season, is up before a Football Association disciplinary hearing tomorrow for his tirade at referee Graham Poll in December's 3-1 reverse to Newcastle, Arsenal's last defeat.

Within six minutes, he was the centre of attention again as Danny Higginbotham tripped him in the area for what appeared a clear-cut penalty only for referee Graham Barber to answer Arsenal appeals in the negative.

Ray Parlour then drove over the cross bar as the ball broke on the edge of the area.

A mistake at the other end by Sol Campbell, who missed his kick, needed Igors Stepanovs to shepherd the ball to safety with Malcolm Christie lurking with intent.

Derby acquitted themselves well in the early exchanges - but they were thankful to Paul Boertien's reactions just after the quarter hour when he blocked Campbell's header, from a Henry corner, on the line.

Another Henry dead ball delivery, a free-kick from the left, picked out Campbell again midway through the first period and this time, after the England defender out-jumped Branko Strupar, it took an acrobatic tip over the bar from goalkeeper Andy Oakes to keep the hosts at bay.

But Derby remained a threat, particularly through Christie, the two-goal scorer against leaders United on Sunday.

Christie's trickery on the right of the area allowed him to skip away from Campbell on the half hour and side foot a centre across the six yard box - but Lee Morris could not reach his pass.

Oakes kept the visitors level, however, with two outstanding stops before the interval.

First, Henry accelerated past Chris Riggott and Warren Barton to corkscrew his shot off Higginbotham only for Oakes to tip around a post at full stretch.

Oakes, a £460,000 capture from Hull, kicked out a Sylvain Wiltord volley at the foot of his right-hand upright after Henry had picked out a colleague.

In between, Christie was foiled by the on-rushing David Seaman after a swift Derby raid, started by Giorgi Kinkladze's tackle on Robert Pires and also featuring Morris.

Arsene Wenger made a change on the resumption, taking off Oleg Luzhny, sending on Lee Dixon at right-back and moving Lauren to the left.

Derby's resilience should have been ended inside four minutes of the second period but the 28-goal Henry for once put a foot wrong.

Wiltord fed the ball through to Dennis Bergkamp and his chip into Henry's path led to the French striker volleying over from six yards when it appeared easier to score.

Normality returned three minutes later when Henry glided across the face of the box and beat Oakes' dive with a right-foot effort to strike the foot of a post. Parlour followed up but only succeeded in bobbling the ball back into the keeper's grasp.

Arsenal, who had dropped 17 points at Highbury before tonight, looked set for another frustrating Premiership result in north London.

But having scored in every one of their previous 28 league matches this term, a goal was perhaps inevitable and it arrived 21 minutes from time.

Bergkamp controlled a high ball, spun and steered into Pires' path, who surged through the Derby rearguard and into the area before poking past Oakes.

Henry could have sealed the victory in the dying minutes but once again displayed unusual profligacy, lifting over on the run when Parlour ushered him goalwards with a through ball.

Teams

Arsenal: Seaman, Luzhny (Dixon 46), Campbell, Stepanovs, Lauren, Wiltord (Edu 80), Vieira, Parlour, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry.

Subs Not Used: Grimandi, Wright, Kanu.

Booked: Parlour.

Goals: Pires 69.

Derby: Oakes, Zavagno, Higginbotham, Riggott, Barton, Strupar (Valakari 68), Lee (O'Neil 55), Kinkladze (Grenet 54), Boertien, Christie, Morris.

Subs Not Used: Elliott, Foletti.

Booked: Lee, O'Neil.

Att: 37,878

Ref: G Barber (Tring).