A third win on the trot lifted Arsenal to third place in the Premiership table yesterday, reinforcing the feeling that they are resuming normal service. The sight of Dennis Bergkamp limping off and Patrick Vieira being sent off confirmed it.

A tetchy, controversial, stalemate of a game ended with struggling Charlton's seventh successive defeat thanks to a dubious penalty decision given by the less than impressive referee Uriah Rennie, who adjudged that Mark Kinsella's foul on Ray Parlour on 54 minutes occurred in the area.

Marc Overmars scored from the spot, a goal which came four minutes after Arsenal had seemingly been put on the back foot by Vieira's third red card this season and the 18th notched up by Arsene Wenger's side since the French coach took over two and a half years ago.

The trouble-prone French midfielder, who just before Christmas was fined £20,000 for gesturing to the crowd at Hillsborough and warned about his future conduct, was rather harshly dismissed for an elbowing incident and will now be suspended for three games.

Arsenal will also once again have to make do without Bergkamp for about three weeks after he hobbled off with groin and ankle injuries following a vicious tackle from behind by Eddie Youds which should have earned the Charlton defender a red card. Rennie showed him only yellow.

Arsenal's recent return to form is largely due to the fact that Wenger has had Bergkamp back to his best after a long bout of injury. With Nicolas Anelka already out for two weeks with ankle problems, Arsenal once again find themselves short of striking power and in danger of suffering another stutter in results as they fight to retain the title.

What can one say about Charlton? A measure of their decline is the fact that when they played at Highbury at the end of August they were top of the Premiership. Now they find themselves third from bottom and staring relegation full in the face.

There is no lack of fight and commitment among the red shirts - in fact yesterday they were perhaps too physical. But they simply lack the guile and goalscoring edge to convert passion into points.

Arsenal's first visit to The Valley since 1956 had begun promisingly, with Luis Boa Morte, playing as a lone striker in the absence of Anelka, hitting the bar after 25 seconds, then Neil Redfearn repeating the feat at the other end four minutes later.

But then the first half settled into a pattern, with Charlton defending stoutly as Arsenal's patient build-ups offered the greater threat. Sasa Ilic twice saved acrobatically from Bergkamp.

On the half-hour the Arsenal left-back Nigel Winterburn limped off with a hamstring injury that will keep him out for about three weeks, and just before the break Bergkamp followed him.

Within five minutes of the restart there was further controversy as Vieira tried to break down the right with Redfearn hanging on to his arm.

The referee seemed to play advantage rather than blow for the foul and that proved fatal for Vieira who, in trying to wrestle himself free of Redfearn's continued grip, hit out with his elbow and was sent off.

"Psychologically he is destroyed," said Wenger afterwards.

"I did not see it but I was surprised he was sent off because I thought it was a foul for us," added Wenger, who has seen his side collect 18 red cards in his reign and a suspended £50,000 fine from the FA for their poor disciplinary record.

"I am fed up of course (of having to speak about this) but you have seen the game today. I don't think we have been unfair and once again we had a man sent-off."

The penalty incident soon followed but after that it was 10-man Arsenal's turn to survive via stout defence. Alex Manninger, hitherto suffering a shaky afternoon, saved well from Kinsella and with his legs from Shaun Newton. John Robinson also went close but the equaliser would not come.

Having 10 members of their first-team squad out injured does not help Charlton's cause. Neither, yesterday, did starting with only one fit striker, Steve Jones. But excuses soon need to be replaced by victories, or relegation will inevitably follow.

As for Arsenal, more controversy, another win and now a further examination of the debatable depth of their squad.

Charlton: Ilic, Mills, Powell, Redfearn (Parker 80), Rufus, Youds, Newton, Kinsella, Robinson, K Jones (Lisbie 67), S Jones. Subs not used: Brown, Tiler, Royce. Booked: Robinson, K Jones, Youds, Redfearn, Kinsella.

Arsenal: Manninger, Dixon, Vieira, Bould, Winterburn (Vivas 29), Boa Morte (Grimandi 62), Bergkamp (Wreh 40), Overmars, Keown, Parlour, Petit. Subs not used: Garde, Lukic. Sent Off: Vieira (51). Booked: Keown, Bergkamp. Goals: Overmars 53 pen.

Referee: U Rennie (Sheffield).