A PLACE in history for Arsenal — a fifth successive Champions League win and, thus, their best start to a European campaign — appeared to have escaped their grasp in the refrigerator of the Stade de Suisse last night. With two minutes remaining, though, they at last broke the brave resistance of FC Thun, the Swiss minnows, to claim their record and also to win group B.

It was not a vintage Arsenal display against opponents depleted by the dismissal of Armand Deumi in the 35th minute for a professional foul on Robin van Persie, and the victory was tinged with controversy when Selver Hodzic, the defender, was penalised for grabbing Van Persie and conceded a penalty. The noisy home fans were not impressed and jeered Lucilio Batista, the Portuguese referee, and the assistant who brought the infringement to his attention.

Robert Pires decided to take the spot-kick and, this time, there were no party tricks, unlike his embarrassing faux pas — with Thierry Henry — against Manchester City last month. Pires drove it high into the net past Eldin Jakupovic, the Thun goalkeeper.

“I thought it was a penalty, even if it was the linesman who gave it,” Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, said. “It looked genuine to me. I was not worried by Robert taking it. I knew that he could do a proper one if he needed to and he did not leave the choice for anyone else. He took it well.”

Already qualified for the last 16 by virtue of their previous four wins, Arsenal gave a Champions League debut to Alexandre Song, 17, the Cameroonian midfield player on a season-long loan from Bastia, the French club. As well as his Song for Europe, Wenger also gave a rare start to Emmanuel Eboué, at right back.

Henry, the captain, created another club record — his 70th European appearance beat the previous best of David Seaman — and it was the Frenchman who initiated Arsenal’s most promising early efforts. Song was getting stuck in, leaving Silvan Aegerter, the Thun captain, in a heap after one robust challenge. Only when he suffered a knee injury did his effectiveness wane and he was replaced by Francesc Fà bregas.

Van Persie should have done better when released by José Antonio Reyes, only to shoot casually at Jakupovic, but could do nothing when Deumi brought him down from behind. “It was a dumb red card,” Urs Schonenberger, the Thun coach, said.

Wenger barely agreed with the dismissal, either. “The game was good with 11 v 11,” he said. “Maybe the referee had no choice but our level dropped after that and we became a bit flat. We lost our concentration, maybe because we thought it would be easier.”

Arsenal let the tempo slip farther in the second half, with Thun dictating play and Nelson Ferreira having two “goals” disallowed for offside. The Thun army became even more agitated, throwing an avalanche of paper snowballs on to the pitch. Henry could have avoided the late controversy but drove inches wide after skating through.

Ajax visit Highbury on December 7, concluding business, then it is on to the last 16. “It was important to top the group,” Wenger said. “Now we will play the second leg at home in the last 16; now it will be very different.”

FC THUN (4-4-2): E Jakupovic — A Orman, S Hodzic, A Deumi, J Goncalves (sub: T Bernardini, 90min) — N Ferreira, L Milicevic, S Aegerter, Leandro — Adriano, M Lustrinelli (sub: E Sen, 85). Substitutes not used: A Portmann, G Duruz, R Gelson, A L Spadoto, P F Omar. Booked: Leandro, Lustrinelli, Hodzic. Sent off: Deumi.

ARSENAL (4-4-2): M Almunia — E Eboué, P Senderos, S Campbell, P Cygan (sub: Lauren, 67)— F Ljungberg, A Song (sub: F Fàbregas, 57), M Flamini, J A Reyes — R van Persie, T Henry (sub: R Pires, 71). Substitutes not used: M Poom, N Bendtner, J Djourou, A Lupoli. Booked: Cygan, Reyes, Lauren.

Referee: L Batista (Portugal).