The scoreline from this pulsating game doesnt tell the whole story as just one goal separated the five-time Premiership Champions and the Canaries. Had Robin Van Persie had his shooting boots on and had Russell Martin not cleared off City's goal-line three times the score could have been very different.
Although Norwich opened the scoring through the persistence of Steve Morison, Van Persie did eventually find the net before half-time. After the break the football continued to flow and it was Arsenal through Van Persie that got the winning goal.
It was two weeks since that close 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa and three weeks since that exciting 3-3 draw at home to Blackburn, but the home players were saying they were rejuvenated after the International break.
However that optimism was short-lived, as not surprisingly the Gunners, who had won their previous four Premiership games, started strongly and the on-fire Van Persie was handed the ideal start to open the scoring within the first minute. But he was wasteful, putting Theo Walcott's throughball wide of John Ruddy's left hand post.
Arsenal continued to dominate the opening exchanges, but in the 16th minute and against the run of play, the Canaries opened the scoring. Marc Tierney's long upfield ball was chased by Morison, but there seemed little danger as Per Mertesacker controlled it. Under pressure from City's Welsh striker the Arsenal defender was disposes ed giving Morison clear sight of the Arsenal goal. After one touch he put his right foot shot underneath the advancing Wojciech Szczesny in front of an ecstatic Barclay End.
Then within seconds the action switched to the River End but Van Persie squandered another opportunity and again in the 23rd minute the Arsenal striker did get a shot on target, but central defender Russell Martin comfortably headed the ball clear off the line.
City's lead lasted just 11 minutes and it came as no surprise that the Arsenal equaliser came from Van Persie. Walcott was able to go round Tierney on the right far too easily and delivered the ball through the 6yard box and the home defence, giving the Dutchman the easiest of tap-ins.
Ruddy was very alert in the 30th minute when an unnecessary back-pass from Naughton on the half way line slowed and put his team under pressure. The City keeper charged more than 25 yards out of his area to clear the ball.
City recovered their composure quickly after conceding that equaliser and produced a passing move that their visitors would have been proud of that earnt them their first corner of the game in the 33rd minute. David Fox's out-swinging delivery from the right by-line was cleared by Thomas Vermaelen.
The half ended with the home side on the attack and Morison had the Arsenal defence back pedaling. With no City player up supporting him, he attempted to put his right wing cross over the Arsenal keeper, which had Szczesny at full stretch to claim the ball.
HALF-TIME: City 1 Arsenal 1
The City boss began the second half by making a tactical change, bringing on right-winger Elliott Bennett with midfielder David Fox the player sacrificed. This switch saw the home side playing with two wide players as Anthony Pilkington moved to his more favoured left wing position.
Aaron Ramsey got in behind City down the left and his cross into the middle was headed goalward by Gervinho, drawing a diving save out of Ruddy.
Valiant defending by City kept the scores level when it seemed Arsenal were destined to take the lead. Ruddy denied Gervinho and then a City defender robbed Van Persie to clear the danger.
But in the 59th minute Martin, who up until then had had an immaculate game, gifted possession on the half-way line to Alex Song. He wasted no time in playing the ball through the City defence for Van Persie to run onto. The Dutchman coolly beat Ruddy at his near post squeezing the ball just inside the woodwork.
Substitute Bennett was the first player to be booked after bringing down Gervinho, just eleven minutes after coming on.
In the 68th minute Lambert made another tactical switch sacrificing the skill of Hoolahan, to put Grant Holt on alongside Morison upfront as City reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation.
This lifted the packed Carrow Road crowd and very quickly the striker was proving to be a pain in the Arsenal side, forcing Mertesacker into conceding a free-kick. It was taken by Pilkington, but yet again for Arsenal Vermaelen was there to clear.
With just nine minutes left Lambert threw his last roll of the dice, putting a third striker in Simeon Jackson on in attempt to get something from the game. The Canadian striker though failed to make any impact.
In the second of three extra minutes, Clarindo Andre Santos was harshly penalised for a challenge on Holt wide on the right. Before City could take the free kick, Wenger made his second change withdrawing Walcott for Johan Djourou. When Bradley Johnson did, his delivery was an easy catch at the far post for Szczesny.
FULL-TIME: City 1 Arsenal 2