Arsenal suffered their first defeat in 14 games as Darren Bent fired Sunderland to a 1-0 win in the Premier League at the Stadium of Light.
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Bent struck 19 minutes from time to seal a tight contest after the Gunners had failed to make the most of the possession they enjoyed.
It might have been different had Marton Fulop not denied Tomas Rosicky with a vital fifth minute save or had referee Alan Wiley pointed to the penalty spot when substitute Carlos Vela went down in the box in injury time.
But the Black Cats battled all the way to the whistle to condemn the visitors to defeat for the first time since September 12.
At the start of the season, Sunderland had not beaten one of the traditional big four clubs since their return to the top flight, but their victory in front of a crowd of 44,918 came after they also beat Liverpool on Wearside on October 17.
The Gunners were without star striker Robin van Persie, the subject of much discussion this week after opting for treatment on his injured ankle which included the use of horse placenta.
His absence, coupled with that of Nicklas Bendtner, left manager Arsene Wenger with few options in attack, although his team-sheet still made for impressive reading.
The Frenchman opted to field Rosicky and Samir Nasri in support of lone frontman Eduardo, and that meant he still had Andrey Arshavin in reserve on the bench.
But opposite number Steve Bruce had problems in central defence with Michael Turner suspended, and Paulo da Silva and John Mensah, back after six games out with a calf problem, found themselves fully extended at times during a tight first half.
