Patrick Vieira put his recent troubles behind him to grab two goals in Arsenal's thrilling 5-3 victory over battling Charlton at Highbury.

Vieira, sent off in Arsenal's opening two matches of the season, landed another double in this roaring, thrill-a-minute roller-coaster of a match.

Two superbly-delivered goals - his first at Highbury for a year - pumped up the volume to deafening level among a crowd just dying to demonstrate their faith and belief in him.

And that, coupled with a vintage midfield display by the World Cup and Euro 2000-winning French international from Senegal, was almost too much to take in on a day when it seemed some unseen force had written the script.

In truth that was only half the story. In the end Vieira had to share the plaudits with his international team-mate, the irresistible Thierry Henry whose own double-strike brought Arsenal back from 2-1 down at half-time.

Henry hammered a pair of absolute gems to make sure he figured as a marksman in nine of his last 10 Premiership appearances - a carry-over from last season when he topped the Arsenal charts with 26 - most of them coming after Christmas.

And in this latest French-orchestrated all-singing, all-dancing, all-attacking Arsenal show you had to feel sympathy for gallant, newly-promoted Charlton - especially their own hit-man Andy Hunt who registered a splendid double of his own.

Vieira's opening strike had been received with predictable acclaim by his adoring Highbury fans who are living in fear he will quit the English game after the anguish of his latest red card-double, but they did not have long to enjoy it.

Hunt, who had craftily positioned himself up against the diminutive Silvinho whenever Charlton had a set-piece opportunity, had no marker at all when he slotted a surprise equaliser in the 23rd minute.

Graham Stuart's pass was picked up in full flow down the right by raiding Bulgarian full-back Radostin Kishishev and his low cross into the six-yard