MARTIN O'Neill got his tenure as Aston Villa manager off to an excellent start as his side came within six minutes of leaving Arsenal's brand new Emirates Stadium with all three points, a significant improvement on the Birmingham side's 5-0 hammering at Highbury last spring.

Olof Mellberg headed Villa in front early in the second half, and O'Neill's men defended bravely from there. However, sustained pressure finally told with six minutes left when Gilberto netted at the far post following good work from Theo Walcott on his debut. The result ended Arsenal's run of eight consecutive home wins over Villa in the Premiership.

Arsenal started without want-away defender Ashley Cole, but there was a place on the bench for Walcott for the first time in the Premiership. Thierry Henry returned to captain the side having been rested for the recent Champions League qualifier, but summer signing Tomas Rosicky was out with a groin problem.

Villa were also entering a new era under manager O'Neill. Steven Davis passed a fitness test but injured striker Milan Baros did not make the squad.

There were few empty seats around the 60,000-capacity stadium at kick-off and the Gunners started brightly.

Alexander Hleb weaved his way into the Villa penalty area and the ball fell kindly for Emmanuel Eboue on the overlap down the right. The Ivory Coast defender skipped past his marker and drove in a fierce, angled effort which Thomas Sorensen did well to turn over one-handed.

From the resulting corner by Cesc Fabregas, it needed a goal-line clearance from JLloyd Samuel to keep Emmanuel Adebayor's header out. On 14 minutes, a long pass up field from Gilberto almost released Henry at the edge of the box but Villa defender Liam Ridgewell managed a timely interception before Sorensen hacked the loose ball clear.

O'Neill . . . dressed in a black tracksuit . . . was his usual animated self in the technical area as his side did their best to match Arsenal's crisp passing. However, when Villa did manage to put together a promising attack, Luke Moore making progress down the right, Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel smashed a 25yard effort horribly high and wide.

Freddie Ljungberg darted into the box and it needed a good tackle from Aaron Hughes to put the ball out for a corner.

Arsenal nearly got the second half off to a flying start when Ljungberg dashed down the left and his low centre was deflected behind with Adebayor arriving at pace into the six-yard box. Eboue fell awkwardly following a tussle with Moore and, as per the new guidelines, Villa continued to play on . . . much to the disgust of the home crowd.

When the ball eventually went out for a goalkick the full-back soon returned to the action after treatment to his arm.

Villa were now showing more adventure . . . and they took the lead from a corner on the left after 53 minutes. Davis whipped a fine delivery into the six-yard box where Adebayor and Toure seemed to get in each other's way as Lehmann also came to try to punch clear. However, it was Mellberg who got his timing right, the Sweden defender powering a header into the centre of goal.

Arsenal looked for an immediate response. Ljungberg again got away down the Villa right but once more his cut-back was too easily cleared. It did, though, need a fine block from Ridgewell to deny Adebayor after the big Togo striker showed good close control when latching onto a loose ball in the sixyard box.

With 25 minutes left, Sorensen stood up well at his near post to beat away Eboue's drive. Robin van Persie replaced Adebayor before Henry whipped a 25-yard freekick over the wall and the crossbar as the match entered the closing stages.

Graham Poll finally had his yellow card out . . . this time just the once . . . when Toure went through the back of Angel on the halfway line.

With 17 minutes left, the Arsenal supporters finally got their first chance to see Walcott in action, the teenager coming on for Ljungberg.

A fine move involving the substitute and Henry saw Eboue put in again on the right . . . only for his eventual strike to come back off the underside of the crossbar. Arsenal finally had their goal on 84 minutes when Gilberto smashed home at the far post after van Persie flicked on Walcott's chip from the left.