Darren Bent is too hot for the Gunners

BOTH arms were outstretched, the look was pure bewilderment. Arsene Wenger was staring at the fourth official, and then back at the ref and then at Samir Nasri, and then the gods.

At a seminal moment, with Arsenal trailing and struggling, Nasri had been brushed aside like a fly, bouncing off John Mensah.

And every part of you screamed soft. Too soft. Still.

Too soft to win the title.

Too pretty to grind it out on a wet and miserable North East afternoon.

When the locals were up for it, when the old Roker roar flickered into the Stadium of Light.

And when Steve Bruce's players rolled up their sleeves and fought and scrapped and rattled through challenges.

They are old failings. Twelve months ago, with Roy Keane still in charge, Sunderland had too much spirit for Arsenal on the same ground, with rain diluting Arsenal's desire.

Only a late, late equaliser from Cesc Fabregas saved them then.

He was their focus again yesterday.

But Fabregas cannot do it on his own. He cannot hide the failings of a strikeforce of Eduardo and Nasri that was way too light.

In Robin van Persie's absence, Arsenal looked like the side people expected before a ball had been kicked. Pretty but light.

Wenger was non-plussed when he spoke about Sunderland playing on the fringe of the game.

The suggestion that the Mackems' physicality had stretched the rules to breaking point to stop his footballers has been heard before.

But that is the area his side have to dip into more.

Better technically than Sunderland? Yes. More aesthetically pleasing? Few in world football can match Arsenal's desire to play the game the right way.

It will always merit huge plaudits, the neutral will flock to flair, you have to admire the sentiment, but question the failing.

That Wenger must move his ideology, however slightly, to match the muscle when the occasion demands.

In context, Chelsea came to the Stadium of Light in August, went a goal down and then powered their way to a convincing 3-1 victory.

That is just not in Arsenal's locker and the danger then becomes that when the front players do not click - and they most certainly did not yesterday - there is not much to fall back on.

Even Fabregas looked shorn of ideas at the finish - fed up, perhaps, of carrying too much responsibility.

Even the fight from Wenger appeared to have gone.

When substitute Carlos Vela went down in the Sunderland penalty area, in stoppage time, with Fraizer Campbell's guilty legs around him, Wenger hardly stirred.

Only later did he claim it was unacceptable, that his side never get penalties. It felt a bit sour but then a 13-game unbeaten run had just ended.

Everywhere Sunderland ran through walls. In midfield Lorik Cana grew in stature as the game progressed, leading his side with stirring headers, brave challenges, rousing the crowd.

Behind him Mensah and Paulo da Silva, with four Premier League appearances between them before yesterday, dominated.

There was no way through, despite a bright start from Arsenal, when Marton Fulop had to do well to deny a Tomas Rosicky drive after just six minutes.

When Fabregas drove narrowly over from 30 yards and when Eduardo, who had avoided the possibility of a dive in Sunderland penalty area in the 11th minute, combined in a delightful double one-two with Alex Song that ended with the Croatian cleverly chipping agonisingly wide.

But when Sunderland started rattling through challenges - and woke their supporters - the tide turned.

Steed Malbranque twice spurned fine chances on the overlap and Andy Reid tried his luck from 30 yards which was not a million miles away.

And there was Darren Bent, fresh from a penalty miss at Spurs and a 55 minute washout for England against Brazil last week. His workrate was relentless, his industry, stuck up front on his own, again, admirable.

And his eye for goal will continue to make Fabio Capello look.

With 19 minutes remaining, Arsenal switched off and the lights went out.

Reid's corner was missed by Song - and Thomas Vermaelen was beaten by Bent. The ball glanced off the side of his head to Campbell, who without much knowledge - and completely unmarked - diverted the ball back into the path of Bent and from such close range, the Premier League's top English scorer devoured the chance.

The fourth goal Bent has scored against the Big Four this term, his ninth of the season. They are stats that will be hard to ignore.

BOSS - Arsene Wenger

It is also seven points against the Big Four for Sunderland - and Manchester United's scrambled equaliser at Old Trafford came with injury-time beckoning.

They have beaten Arsenal and Liverpool at home, drawn at United - and now sit two points off fourth-place.

There is much to applaud Bruce for in the early months of his Stadium of Light tenure. Not least that victory yesterday came without Michael Turner, Lee Cattermole and Kenwyne Jones, the spine of his emerging team.

Spirit and raw aggression have been key to early success. They are characteristics Wenger must import for his side to truly trade for the title.

Bruce said: "To beat Arsenal you always have to play well. We matched them in the middle of the park and I thought we were terrific.

"It's always nice to beat one of the top four. But, for me, it was the manner of it. I was delighted with the performance. It was full of spirit and life and was very pleasing to see.

"It's great for Darren Bent. He has had a tough couple of weeks. We put the smile back on his face.

"His overall link-up play was terrific. He was on his own and it was a stunning performance. And he is always likely to nick you a goal.

Would I take Darren Bent to South Africa? Absolutely. His work-rate is unbelievable. At scoring goals there is no one better."

Wenger said: "Some players were not at their best. We gave a goal away on the only situation were Sunderland could score one, at a set-piece.

"It is down to the fact we made a big mistake on the corner. The game was there for the taking in the last 20 minutes.

"I thought we might have had a penalty at the end but it is difficult for us to get penalties, even the most obvious ones.

"If we had played Sunderland at home we would have won the game.

"But it is more worrying that we did not score. Going forward we lacked sharpness and desire to go beyond the defenders.

"We didn't expose them with our pace."

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