Something close to panic broke out in Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's ordered world as his cruising Gunners came within the width of their crossbar of surrendering a point to outplayed Coventry at Highbury today.

Sylvain Wiltord, Wenger's latest recruit of their native France at a club record £13 million fee, fired Arsenal ahead on his home debut in the 23rd minute.

And although further chances to register a conclusive victory came and went during a one-sided game, all seemed well when young substitute Paolo Vernazza arrived as a second half substitute to also notch the first strike of his fledgling Premiership career with 18 minutes remaining.

At 2-0 it still looked a pale reflection of Arsenal's vast superiority and when top scorer Thiery Henry emerged alongside local boy Vernazza from the bench, the home fans sat back and prepared for the rich pickings that appeared to be there for the taking.

But the prelude to what almost became a costly pantomime in Arsenal's defence came when skipper Tony Adams, back after three games out with a sprained ankle, dragged down Coventry's Preuvian sub Ysrael Zuniga on the fringe of the area.

Adams, despite effusive protests of innocence, was booked and Mustapha Hadji, Coventry's stylish Moroccan skipper, curled home a splendid free-kick that left England goalkeper David Seaman standing.

It should have been no more than a consolation which Coventry, having been completely outplayed, barely deserved.

In the end that was the case, but not before Marcus Hall had volleyed against the underside of Seaman's crossbar in the sixth minute of injury time amid a nightmare scene of flailing Arsenal arms and legs that followed a corner.

It should never have been such a heartstring-tugging finish for the Gunners who drifted between an almost arrogant stylishness and a sloppy complacency.

They were the only team on the pitch for all but the last 10 minutes and should have led by far more than the lively Wiltord's strike by half-time.

Coventry made a complete hash of an attempted offside trap to give Wiltord his chance in the 23rd minute.

They left not only the little Frenchman but Ray Parlour as well completely unattended out on the right when Oleg Luzhny sent a long ball through.

Wiltord took charge of the season, virtually brushing his English team-mate off the ball and battled his way inside the area before unleashing a left-foot drive which flew past Marcus Hedman.

The Swedish goalkeeper had a busy first half, trying to marshall his defenders as Arsenal ripped through time anad again with Wiltord and Robert Pires buzzing away like a couple of Gallic wasps.

But Dennis Bergkamp twice let Coventry off the hook with the kind of chances he usually buries in his sleep.

Pires set him up from the left and although the Dutchman brilliantly lost he tapped a tame shot straight at Hedman. Then, three minutes before the break, Bergkamp swung the ball out to Silvinho on the left and nipped forward into position for the return pass.

But when the ball arrived in front of him he again gave Hedman the chance to save in instead of delivering the coup de grace.

His bad luck continued when another netbound shot struck the legs of Paul Williams and rebounded for a corner.

It didn't seem to matter that much at the time, because Wiltord was soon running Coventry ragged again in the second half - an uncanny reminder, with his black, shaven head and aggressive runs, of Ian Wright's bursting energy during the master marksman's Highbury days.

Indeed the 185-goal record-holding Gunner was in the stands watching and must have been suitably impressed. He would certainly have relished the spot-kick chances Arsenal should have been given in the first 15 minutes when Marc Edworthy brought down both Pires and Wiltord in quick succession - but they drew no response from new Premiership referee Mike Dean.

Wright would have cheered again when after Wiltord (twice) and the ever-willing Freddie Ljungberg both brought the best out of the athletic Hedman, the lead was finally doubled when Vernazza was left with time and room to pick his spot from fellow sub Henry's deflected cross.

Just what happened to Arsenal after that can only be a matter of speculation. In between Hadji's goal and Hall's near miss there was a farcical moment when Seaman raced off his line to collect the ball and fell flat on his back in collision with Adams - only for Hadji to run the ball out of the play with the goal gaping.

Arsenal: Seaman, Silvinho, Adams, Keown, Luzhny, Ljungberg, Parlour (Vernazza 67), Grimandi, Pires, Bergkamp (Kanu 77),Wiltord (Henry 67).

Subs Not Used: Vivas, Lukic.

Booked: Adams.

Goals: Wiltord 24, Vernazza 72.

Coventry: Hedman, Edworthy (Breen 81), Williams, Shaw, Hall, Chippo, Hadji, Telfer (Eustace 57), Palmer,Bellamy (Zuniga 63), Roussel.

Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Normann.

Booked: Eustace, Zuniga.

Goals: Hadji 80.

Att: 37,794

Ref: M Dean (The Wirral).