When in doubt and despair, call for Master Edward Sheringham: that should be the new motto of Manchester United. For the third time in eight months Alex Ferguson obeyed that call and for the third time Teddy Sheringham delivered a goalscoring justification of the decision.

As in the FA Cup final, as in the European Cup final, Sheringham last night came off the bench to rouse his wilting colleagues, and while a league match in January may lack the significance of either of those occasions, it did not feel like it when United were trailing Arsenal with 16 minutes remaining.

Sheringham had been on the pitch for just eight minutes at that point, but had already made a spiky contribution that contrasted with what Andy Cole had been offering. Then Roy Keane, together with Sheringham the most important United player, sent Ryan Giggs down the left. Giggs has swung in better crosses in his time but David Seaman flapped at this one in an alarming fashion. The ball ran free to David Beckham and he returned it to the six-yard box where Sheringham was lurking. Tap-in. Equaliser. Relief.

"A stupid goal," a frustrated Arsene Wenger called it.

Because without Sheringham's introduction Arsenal would surely have gone on to record only their second victory here in over a decade. United may have lifted the capacity at Old Trafford to a Premiership record-breaking 58,293, but it was Arsenal who raised the roof with a superbly controlled display.

Martin Keown was outstanding while Fredrik Ljungberg fully justified his inclusion with a versatile performance that bewildered United. Even had he not scored the opener, Ljungberg would have been a worthy man of the match.

Although United will not see it this way, the result was good for England. It keeps the Premiership temperature simmering, though not at tropical heat. Maybe United would have liked it hotter - as Arsenal's fans sang: "You should have stayed in Brazil."

Ferguson referred to the South America jaunt but did not use the 28-day absence from Premiership competition as an excuse. Instead he said: "I'm relieved and encouraged. The fact that we haven't lost keeps us in a good position."

Wenger, for once lately, did not mention the Rio winter break afterwards. He still thinks the title is United's to lose because of their games in hand but was too focused on his own players' achievement, which, given the absence of so many attackers and Tony Adams, was considerable. "Before the game I would have settled for a point," Wenger said, "but now it is difficult not to have regrets. Twice we had the chance to make it 2-0 but I don't want to complain too much."

Ljungberg was singled out by his manager. "He did very well both as a second striker and a fifth midfielder."

Graham Barrett was not even a substitute, but the young Dubliner must have realised the wisdom in Wenger's method early. Ljungberg was the reason, obviously instructed to support the lone striker Thierry Henry from deep whenever possible. It worked immediately - Jaap Stam twice blocking the Arsenal pairing in the first five minutes. Stam's evening was to deteriorate from there.

Some sleepy, sloppy defending by Mikael Silvestre did not help the home fire. Though if the Frenchman was actually dozing he was surely awoken from his slumbers in the 25th minute when Keane delivered such a volley of abuse that Gary Neville actually had to restrain his irate captain.

By then, of course, significant damage had already been sustained by United and Henry and Ljungberg were the central characters. Well, them and Stam. The big Dutchman, normally so imposing, appeared nonplussed by Henry's fairly ordinary backward header from the centre circle; running back to goal, and no doubt sensing Ljungberg's looming presence, Stam tried an unconvincing hooked clearance.

But Ljungberg was already ahead of Stam's thoughts. He nicked the ball and slid it between the spread legs of the advancing Bosnich.

Arsenal were dominant, United were "nervous and rusty" as Ferguson put it. Arsenal, he said, "capitalised on that with their attitude and commitment." With Keane and Nicky Butt preoccupied with monitoring the fluid movement of Emmanuel Petit and Patrick Vieira, United were unable to cope with Ljungberg's indistinct and flexible position.

Seven minutes before half-time United should have been two behind. Again Henry and Ljungberg were the tormentors, this time the Frenchman benefiting from Ljungberg's flick to Keown's clipped pass out of defence. Charging away from Silvestre, Henry bore down on Bosnich and shot low. Bosnich's left hand sprung out and jabbed the ball to safety.

Undoubtedly that was a turning point, United would have been seriously winded by a second. "Particularly after they missed that, I thought we could get something out of the game," said Ferguson.

Indeed his side approached the interval with the hint of some momentum at last. Butt's uncharacteristically bold dribble took him through the heart of the visitors' backline; Seaman produced a save equal to Bosnich's earlier dexterity. The rebound fell nicely for Giggs but his timid effort hit the side-netting.

Only two minutes of the second half had elapsed when Denis Irwin hoofed a Petit corner off the line and then Bosnich made an alert save after Ljungberg once again evaded all red shirts and popped up in the United box.

Arsenal patrolled with relative comfort. But, 21 minutes into the half came the familiar Glaswegian call - "hey, Teddy". The response, as in the past, was instant and Ferguson was grateful.

That gratitude should extend to Sheringham signing a lucrative new contract within the next few weeks. Not bad for a 33-year-old. "When he came on he made an immediate impact," Ferguson said of Sheringham. "He always offers something different. He always scores important goals. He's good at that." He certainly is.

MAN UTD: Bosnich, G Neville, Stam, Silvestre, Irwin (P Neville 87), Beckham, Keane, Butt, Giggs, Cole (Sheringham 66), Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Berg, Solskjaer. Goal: Sheringham 73.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Grimandi, Silvinho (Winterburn 24), Parlour, Vieira, Petit, Hughes (Malz 70), Ljungberg, Henry. Subs Not Used: Wreh, Manninger, Luzhny. Booked: Grimandi. Goal: Ljungberg 11. Att: 58,293.

Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).