Thierry Henry crowned a storming Arsenal comeback with his 21st goal of the season in stoppage time at Highbury as shell-shocked Aston Villa shot themselves in the foot in this five-goal Barclaycard Premiership thriller.

Wenger says he signed his new four-year contract this week in the full knowledge that top-level management could shorten his life with its roller-coaster highs and lows.

That observation was proved all over again in the course of a breathless 90 minutes which saw Arsenal ship two first-half goals before staging a frenzied comeback which culminated in sharp-shooter Henry's glorious double.

Hard work and desire helped them overcome a Villa side now without a win in seven matches and who sold themselves cheaply with glaring errors in the last 18 minutes.

The visitors were deservedly ahead when Highbury old boy Paul Merson stunned the Gunners with a trademark lob over Stuart Taylor in the 20th minute after Dion Dublin out-jumped Sol Campbell and flicked on reserve goalkeeper Peter Enckelman's long clearance.

Highbury was stunned again when Steve Stone picked his way through the rubble of the home defence to add a second, courtesy of more good work by Dublin 14 minutes later.

But Wenger made a double substitution at half-time, and one of the changes paid off immediately when Sylvain Wiltord - with only his second touch - blasted in Ray Parlour's chipped cross.

Henry was twice denied after powering through on the left but with 18 minutes left he forced his shot home after Patrick Vieira had robbed the dallying J Lloyd Samuel and found his countryman with a low cross.

Henry got involved in a shoving match with Steve Staunton as he tried to retrieve the dead ball from the Villa defender. His punishment was a booking from referee Alan Wiley.

The Frenchman continued unabated in his quest for all three points - and finally, with stoppage time being played, Enckelman's faulty clearance was picked up 40 yards out by Robert Pires who looked up and saw Henry running into the area.

The pass was perfect, and Henry put the chance away to leave the Highbury fans - who had booed their team off at the interval - in raptures again.

Much of their discontent was directed at referee Wiley, who made a series of baffling decisions.

But when, in the 68th minute, Henry went down in the box under challenge by Alan Wright television replays suggested the official was right that there was no contact - and Villa defenders pointed accusingly at the prone Arsenal striker.

Several Arsenal players walked a narrow line with dissent as Wiley whistled against them time after time, and the reckless Vieira was given a long lecture by the official for disputing a free-kick which Staunton then swept in from the right just wide of the near post.

The Gunners were in danger of leaving gaps at the back as they looked for goals, but the luckless Samuel scraped his shot across the face of the goal from a narrow angle.

With 22 minutes left Villa almost snatched a third goal when Martin Keown, another half-time substitute, was pulled up for holding Dublin - and the striker's quickly-taken free-kick very nearly squirmed through Taylor's grasp.

Wenger made a third substitution, sending on Kanu for the ineffective Dennis Bergkamp, and the big Nigerian was involved when the ball dropped invitingly for Pires 10 yards out only for the Frenchman's volley to be blocked.

Henry raced through on the left but overran the ball and allowed Enckelman to make a brave block.

The Highbury fans groaned when Wiltord's would-be winner was ruled out for the narrowest of offside decisions - but the cheers soon followed when Henry hit the target for the winner.

Teams:

Arsenal: Taylor, Lauren, Upson (Keown 45), Campbell, Cole, Vieira, Ljungberg (Wiltord 45), Parlour, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp (Kanu 67).

Subs Not Used: Grimandi, Stack.

Booked: Lauren, Vieira, Bergkamp, Henry.

Goals: Wiltord 46, Henry 72, 90.

Aston Villa: Enckelman, Samuel, Wright, Mellberg, Staunton, Stone, Boateng, Barry (Vassell 78), Hendrie, Dublin, Merson.

Subs Not Used: Angel, Myhill, Ginola, Bewers.

Goals: Merson 21, Stone 34.

Att: 38,074

Ref: A Wiley (Burntwood).