The path of righteousness proved to be strewn with unexpected pitfalls for Arsenal yesterday. To a pristine reputation, established by their voluntary FA Cup replay against Sheffield United, they had imagined adding an unblemished return to Premiership action only for Dietmar Hamann's equaliser 13 minutes from time to cause the Londoners to lose ground in the three-way challenge for the title.

"Please Newcastle, how about playing it again?" Had Arsenal been of such a disposition as the final whistle sounded it would have been entirely understandable, for they had controlled vast chunks of the game, and looked set to keep pace with Manchester United and Chelsea courtesy of Nicolas Anelka's first-half goal.

But their authority was never confirmed with a second goal, caution crept in during the second half, and Newcastle fashioned an equaliser that their general befuddlement had suggested would be beyond them, Hamann, a key figure in their recent revival, wriggling towards the edge of the area before stabbing the ball past David Seaman from 20 yards.

Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, accepted that fatigue after the midweek Cup replay might have played a part. "We had the feeling that Newcastle weren't dangerous," he said. "I don't know if we were weary, but in the second half we didn't come out enough."

Arsenal started well, and even the loss of Remi Garde - himself a stand-in for Emmanuel Petit - on a stretcher after five minutes, as he sprained an ankle under challenge from Nolberto Solano, did not disrupt them.

Nine minutes before half-time, the English winter sided with the Londoners. Dennis Bergkamp's delivery, from the centre circle, did not possess obvious danger, but for the last defender, Nikolaos Dabizas, who lost his footing - and the ball - as he sought to turn, its outcome will be haunting for weeks.

In his present form, Anelka does not waste such opportunities and he eluded Shay Given with ease to score his 13th Premiership goal of the season.

It was another Newcastle central defender, Steve Howey, who had been at fault the previous week for both goals in a defeat at Southampton, and his own stumble might have given Arsenal the lead much earlier in the half.

Howey's bank balance had been taken care of during the week when he concluded negotiations on a threefold salary increase, but his sense of balance left more to be desired. Bergkamp might have taken advantage when Howey muffed a clearance, but Tony Adams, dashing eagerly into the opposition area, stubbed his toe. So easily did Arsenal curb Newcastle's confused attacks that Adams could afford his little luxuries further forward, at least until his headed clearance was followed by a thudding collision with Hamann, for which the German was fortunate to go unbooked.

A misshapen half-hour elapsed before Newcastle remotely matched Arsenal's hints at invention. Solano's low cross from the right left Alan Shearer with the chance to make sliding contact at the far post but the ball trailed wide. Newcastle had made some headway at least, and Solano still looked pumped up minutes later when he curled a free-kick wide of Seaman's right-hand post from 25 yards.

Arsenal briefly declined into foolishness: first, Marc Overmars was booked for a dig at Hamann; seconds later, Bergkamp's playacting under challenge from Solano caused him to accompany his fellow Dutchman into the book.

No matter. It was immediately afterwards that Anelka fastened onto Bergkamp's pass to put Arsenal ahead. Had Anelka then scored with a free header from Ray Parlour's corner, they might have had a two-goal buffer by half-time.

Arsenal's control was absolute at the start of the second half and after an hour Ruud Gullit introduced Temuri Ketsbaia and Robert Lee in a search for more midfield creativity.

"Newcastle have improved," insisted Wenger. "They have a better spirit as well."

Gullit had mused that Newcastle's recent improvement was "not the egg of Columbus", leading bemused observers to wonder quite what was. Perhaps it was an Arsenal defence which cracked when least expected.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Charvet, Howey, Dabizas, Domi, Hamann, Solano (Ketsbaia 59), Speed, Brady (Lee 59), Saha, Shearer. Subs Not Used: Harper, Barton, Griffin. Booked: Hamann, Dabizas. Goals: Hamann, 77.

ARSENAL: Seaman, Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn, Garde (Hughes 3), Parlour, Vieira, Overmars (Upson 84), Anelka, Bergkamp. Subs Not Used: Manninger, Kanu, Diawara. Booked: Overmars, Bergkamp. Goals: Anelka 36.

Referee: M Reed (Birmingham).