That Arsenal secured their first win against Liverpool for six years to finally kick-start their season was by the end largely forgotten amid a plethora of red cards that completely marred a tempestuous encounter at Highbury.

By the end of the match there were just 19 players left on the pitch, which was hardly a welcome sight even for watching Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier amid his clampdown on indiscipline.

Unsurprisingly, one of the three players to be dismissed was Patrick Vieira, who saw red for the second time in just three days and stormed off the pitch in disgust, flinging his shirt to the ground as he went.

Vieira was sent off for his second bookable offence within the space of just three minutes, his fifth red card in the Carling Premiership - only Vinnie Jones has had a worse record than that - and his sixth in total during his Gunners career.

Yet he was hardly alone in the dressing-rooms for Liverpool were reduced to nine men, with the first player to be dismissed being Gary McAllister after just 40 minutes on his full debut for the first time in the Premiership.

That was for a foul on Vieira but Liverpool, who were already trailing by that stage due to Lauren's early strike, found their challenge had became a lost cause when Dietmar Hamann joined him 17 minutes from time.

By the end, after Thierry Henry had doubled Arsenal's advantage, both sets of fans joined in a tumultuous display of anger directed at referee Graham Poll and the result had been almost completely overshadowed.

Even though Vieira will at this rate soon have to buy a season ticket to watch matches, at least Arsenal had still managed to get off the blocks in their supposed championship challenge against fellow title contenders.

They had waited more than three years to score a goal against Liverpool in the Premier League - the last came from Ian Wright in March 1997 - but it arrived just seven minutes into this game from the impressive Lauren.

The Gunners, with four changes to their line-up, had come out determined to make amends for their opening day defeat at Sunderland and, with 40 seconds gone, Lauren was free on goal from a flick by the shaven-headed Henry.

However, keeper Sander Westerveld was out quickly to block as the chance - like so many at the Stadium of Light - went begging.

Liverpool had started with five in midfield and Emile Heskey up front on his own, with Michael Owen on the bench and Steven Gerrard rested, which were hardly encouraging signs for watching England boss Kevin Keegan.

However, Arsenal were undaunted by the massed ranks ahead of them amid a frenetic opening spell and when Lauren found himself in space to volley at the far post, he was blocked by first Djimi Traore and then Westerveld.

From the ensuing corner, however, the Liverpool keeper came out, missed the ball, then flapped at it amid a mass of bodies and Lauren forced it home through a crowd of legs.

Less than eight minutes had elapsed and there had already been more action than in some entire first-halves but gradually the game settled into a disjointed pattern.

Liverpool, who were relying upon McAllister, Nick Barmby - who had an early claim for a penalty turned down - and Vladimir Smicer to race forward to support the isolated figure of Heskey, were increasingly pegged back.

While Jamie Carragher was attempting to keep a close check on Bergkamp as he provided a shield for the back four alongside Dietmar Hamann, the dangers instead came from the lively, bustling figures of Lauren and Henry.

Henry created a chance for himself by turning inside and letting fly with a drive that Westerveld managed to tip around the post.

However, Liverpool's chances of breaking out of defence were curtailed when McAllister was dismissed six minutes before the break.

For once - and this did not last long - Vieira was sinned against rather than sinning himself as he was tackled from behind by McAllister with an over-enthusiastic two-footed lunge.

Although McAllister is anything but a notoriously dirty player, he was shown the red card while Vieira eventually came back onto the pitch after lengthy treatment on the sidelines.

While Liverpool were trying to bludgeon their way through via Heskey, Arsenal relied on the more effective rapier-like pace of Lauren and Henry, who set up Bergkamp only for Stephane Henchoz to head off the line.

Arsenal could still not rest on their laurels though as Hamann tested out Seaman with a long-range free-kick and then forced the keeper into a superb diving save that - along with Tony Adams's covering - will have impressed Keegan.

Owen finally came on with 20 minutes left only for Carragher to immediately foul Vieira to earn a booking, while the Frenchman's angry remonstrations were curtailed by Gilles Grimandi but still led to a yellow card.

His blood was clearly boiling and just over a minute later, he came flying in with a two-footed tackle on Hamann and while he succeeded in winning possession, he still sent the German flying.

That left the match at 10 players each but even that depressing state of affairs did not last long as Hamann, who had earlier been booked for persistent fouling was then shown another - highly debatable - yellow card for tugging Robert Pires' shirt.

With Liverpool now down to nine men, they were left to live off scraps in the final stages and Henry duly punished them in the last minute when, after Westerveld had saved his initial effort, he rammed home the rebound.

Those players who were left on the pitch quickly departed afterwards - and that left Poll to walk the gauntlet of a cacophony of jeers and boos raining down on him from both sets of fans.

Teams

Arsenal: Seaman, Vieira, Keown, Adams, Pires, Bergkamp (Kanu 76), Lauren, Henry, Silvinho, Grimandi, Luzhny.

Subs Not Used: Dixon, Manninger, Cole, Vernazza.

Sent Off: Vieira (74).

Booked: Vieira, Bergkamp.

Goals: Lauren 8, Henry 90.

Liverpool: Westerveld, Henchoz, Babbel, Smicer (Owen 70), Heskey (Meijer 80), Hyypia, Hamann, Barmby (Murphy 77), McAllister, Carragher, Traore.

Subs Not Used: Song, Arphexad.

Sent Off: McAllister (39), Hamann (78).

Booked: Barmby, Hamann, Henchoz, Carragher.

Att: 38,014

Ref: Graham Poll (England).