BATTLING Sunderland confounded the critics - and delighted a record 46,000 crowd - by out-fighting an Arsenal side which kept firing blanks at the Stadium of Light.

The Gunners, runners up to Premier League champions Manchester United last season, oozed class right through the side and in French World Cup winner Patrick Vieira had the best player on the pitch.

But despite carving out no fewer than 18 goalscoring chances they could not put the ball into the net and were made to pay the supreme penalty when a defensive mistake let in Republic of Ireland striker and former Gunner Niall Quinn to snatch a second-half winner.

Vieira allowed his frustration to boil over when he was shown a stoppage-time red card for lashing out at Sunderland substitute Darren Williams, who had been whistled up for shirt pulling, an offence which brought a caution.

But Arsenal should never have found themselves in a situation where they were desperately trying to salvage a point from a game they could have controlled from the first minute.

The acrid smell of pre-match fireworks still hung over the pitch as Nigerian international Kanu opened up the home defence on the right to centre perfectly for Thierry Henry, who contrived to head wide from six yards.

And England international Ray Parlour, a £6m Sunderland target during the close season, missed two equally glorious chances in a first half when Sunderland seemed to have no answer to the brilliant attacking advances of Vieira, who was denied a brilliant goal by a superb reflex save in the 45th minute.

Sunderland, with several players obviously short of match fitness, could only offer wholehearted effort in contrast - but it was to prove effective as the Londoners continued to fritter away goalscoring opportunities.

But one man in particular stood out for Sunderland - Slovakian central defender Stanislav Varga, who proved to be an instant hit with the home fans in a 46,346 crowd.

The vastly experience international, a bargain £650,000 buy from Slovan Bratislava, could not have asked for a harder introduction to life in the Premiership against one of the best attacks in the land, but he hardly faltered.

Varga was accomplished on the ground and in the air and had the knack of anticipating danger, a quality which twice prevented Arsenal from opening their account.

Young defender Darren Holloway was handed the onerous task of man-marking Kanu, and he handled the job well, denying the Nigerian striker time on the ball, though there were still some anxious moments from a player who can be expected to get a lot of goals this season.

But he will have to show a more ruthless streak than he did against Sunderland, and cannot afford to waste chances like the one he had in the 63rd minute, when he shot tamely at stand-in goalkeeper Jurgen Macho.

But he was not out of place in an Arsenal side which never lived up to it nickname - every outfield player had a chance to score but no-one could get the ball into the Sunderland net.

Peter Reid's men, in contrast, knew they had to be much more efficient if they were to bring off a surprise.

Ace striker Kevin Phillips, a 30-goal hero last season, had only one chance, sending a curling left-foot 20-yarder just wide soon after the restart, and it was left to Quinn to steal the thunder against his old club.

Michael Gray, given the captaincy in the absence of Steve Bould, centred from the left in the 52nd minute and when England keeper Deavid Seaman failed to punch away, Quinn rose high to direct his header into the corner of the net for a priceless finish.

Arsenal brought on their £6m summer signing Robert Pires and Dutch international Dennis Bergkamp in a bid to find a way through Sunderland's resolute defence, but they refused to wilt.

And Reid later said: "We have played against a top-drawer team and we have hung in there.

"They have worked really hard against world class players and in the end deserved to win - it's been a good day for all concerned."

l FORMER England central defender Steve Bould almost cut short his career at Sunderland this summer after complicated foot surgery.

The 37-year-old, who played a major part in Sunderland's successful return to the Premiership last season after a bargain £500,000 transfer from Arsenal, stayed on the substitutes' bench during the 1-0 home win over his old club.

But Bould revealed that at one stage he felt as though he might be forced to call it a day after the operation to separate fused bones in his foot.

"At one stage it was really getting me down and I was close to packing it all in," he admitted.

Bould, who has not played first- team football since February, explained: "I'm at the stage where I'm more than just a seasoned pro now. This could be my last season in football and whether or not you should go on does go through you mind.

"There was an element of uncertainty because not many people undergo this operation and certainly not many sportsmen. Thankfully the op seems to have worked perfectly.

"At my stage of my career I want to be playing every game I possibly can and that's what I will be aiming to do this season."