ARSENAL 1 Wanderers 1 MICHAEL Ricketts does not just talk the talk -- he walks the walk!

Twenty-four hours after insisting Wanderers were not being given the credit they deserved for the talent and quality that has taken them to the top of the Premiership, the Reebok Rocket produced a touch of class to make sure they stayed there -- overnight at least. ITV "expert" Ally McCoist can argue until he is blue in the face but Jari Litmanen's matchwinner for Liverpool against Spurs at Anfield was not a patch on the magic Wanderers conjured up to rescue an unbelievable point at Highbury. Two of England's finest -- Tony Adams and David Seaman -- were left bewitched and bewildered as Rod Wallace darted to the by-line and dragged the ball back for Ricketts to tee himself up for his fifth goal of the season -- a touch with the left, a swivel through 180 degrees then a right footer into the roof of the net.

"It was a bit of a bad touch," Ricketts said, suggesting the first added a greater degree of difficulty to the second. "It started to go away from me but I managed to hook it in."

It was a quality finish to cap a heroic performance by Wanderers who battled against the odds to leave the Gunners shellshocked.

Having to bravely and defiantly soldier on a man short for an hour after losing Ricardo Gardner to a controversial red card then finally being undone by the star-studded Arsenal attack, they had no right to fight back.

As relieved Gunners supporters burst into the familiar "One-nil to the Ar- senal!" chant 38,000 spectators waited for the inevitable deluge of goals. But Wanderers are made of sterner stuff than ever these days and there was never a hint of the white flag being raised.

Instead they defended as efficiently and effectively as they had from the start while Sam Allardyce -- the man with the Midas touch -- sent on Wallace in the second wave of his salvage squad. Now it was the turn of the small but vociferous band of Bolton fans: "We only need 10 men!"

That Ricketts was on the bench in the first place was no reflection on his ability or his performances - four goals in seven was not to be sniffed at - but an acknowledgement that he was due a break after expending so much physical and mental energy in a whirlwind start to the season.

"He needed a rest," the manager explained.

The powerful Brummie admitted he was disappointed not to start and, considering he grew to despise the "super-sub" tag he was saddled with last season, he might not have enjoyed some of the resulting headlines he created for himself. The only way he can answer that is to stop scoring when he comes off the bench!

Chances are that he won't have that particular problem on Saturday, though, with Allardyce hinting strongly that he will be back, suitably rested and refreshed, in the starting line-up for the Reebok showdown with Sunderland.

Confident too judging by his response to that now familiar question: "Can Wanderers keep it going?"

"People ask us that every week," he answered, "but we keep picking up the points. Hopefully at the end of the season we're still in the Premiership."

Modest though that target might be compared with their current position, survival remains Wanderers' priority. But with the resolve they have shown from the minute they made their Premiership bow at Leicester, they have shown a resolve and a determination that suggests they are capable of much more. "If you come here expecting to lose," Ricketts said in the bowels of Highbury, "you might as well not turn up. We wanted a positive result and we got that with a draw." You hesitate to say it with Peter Reid and his Black Cats planning an ambush and the memory of the home defeat by Southampton still fresh in the mind but Wanderers are starting to play like a team that genuinely believes it cannot lose.

Throw anything at them: the best attackers in the world, intimidating surroundings, injustice ... as they have shown once again, Allardyce's heroes do not know the meaning of the word surrender.

Hard done by and short-handed after the unfortunate Gardner was sent off for nothing more than a nudge on Dennis Bergkamp, they should not have had a prayer. Arsenal had started 4-1 ON favourites to win the game and take over at the top of the Premiership when suddenly Gunners fans were reaching for their calculators to keep the score.

But anyone who has seen Wanderers' disciplined and determined defence in operation recently would have known better than to expect an avalanche of goals.

Arsenal tried everything they knew.

They went left and right, high and low; tried subtlety then power. Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord -- a forward line to drool over. But for every thrust there was a parry, for every burst there was a block.

Years ago, when he first arrived in England, Gudni Bergsson played for Arsenal's arch North London rivals Spurs. He would not have been on Gunners' fans Christmas card lists then and he certainly will not be now after such a titanic performance at the heart of an unsinkable defence.

The Wanderers' captain has had vintage performances recently but this, under the circumstances, had to be his finest hour. Beside him Mike Whitlow -- the man with the big heart and unswerving enthusiasm -- and Anthony Barness and Simon Charlton who were medal winners in the "they shall not pass" brigade. The midfield -- five became four after Gardner's departure -- made sure Vieira and Co were not free to run riot and, when they did find a way through, Jussi Jasskelainen was on hand to make outstanding saves from Giovanni Van Bronckhorst and Ashley Cole to enhance his growing reputation.

The keeper was beaten just twice, first when Wiltord's header rattled his crossbar then when Bergkamp, Henry and Pires combined to lay on the tap-in that brought £10 million signing Francis Jeffers his first Arsenal goal. This was no one-way street though. Seven minutes before Ricketts' point-saver, Seaman pulled off a terrific one-handed save to deny Henrik Pedersen.

And at the death the England man was relieved to see the slightly impulsive but highly impressive debutant, Jermaine Johnson, clip his second promising chance wide of the target when he had glory in his sights. IT'S IN! The magic moment captured as Michael Ricketts blasts the ball past the flailing hand of Arsenal -- and England -- goalkeeper David Seaman 'The midfield -- five became four after Gardner's departure -- made sure Vieira and Co were not free to run riot...'