Midweek away trips in the Champions League often lead to lacklustre performances the following weekend. Saturday lunchtime, Manchester United were humbled by Everton at Goodison Park and, later in the afternoon, the Arsenal made hard work of a somewhat easier assignment at home to Sunderland, eventually seeing off their visitors 2-0.

Though the Gunners dominated possession, it wasn't until the 27th minute that they took the lead when, after a strong run, Emmanuel Eboue danced through the Sunderland defence and presented Nicklas Bendtner with a tap-in. It was just the sort of confidence boost that the young Dane needed as he finds his feet again after a long lay off from injury but it was provided by some fine work by the Ivorian who was Arsenal’s stand-out performer yesterday.

Going into the second half, and despite their territorial advantage, the home team never looked entirely comfortable holding onto their one-goal lead. There were moments when it looked like Sunderland might find their way back into the match and the visitors did have their chances to draw level. The match was put beyond doubt just into injury-time though when Cesc Fabregas was adjudged to have been fouled in the area. The captain slotted home the resultant penalty himself and the three points were safe.

Nicklas Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue ©Getty Images

It might not have been the prettiest game to watch, and the Gunners did make heavy weather of it, but a win was a win and it was another three points banked. As much as we all like to watch the team when they are in full flow and at their scintillating best, no points are awarded for artistic interpretation and sometimes victories just have to be ground out. After the disappointment of losing in Porto, the result was just what the team, and the supporters, needed.

The real highlight of yesterday’s display was the individual performance of Emmanuel Eboue and it felt like the culmination of a year of rehabilitation for the Ivory Coast international. Fourteen months ago at Ashburton Grove he came on as a substitute against Wigan Athletic and, after what must have been one of the poorest performances of his career, found himself substituted off later in the match with a chorus of boos ringing in his ears from sections of the home crowd.

There was much debate as to whether those supporters who made their point so vocally were correct to do so, but what most of the media didn’t acknowledge was that Eboue’s performance that day was not a one-off. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back after several months of disquiet over a string of poor showings and his histrionics when going down too easily under the slightest challenge. When even your own supporters are telling you to "Get up!", you know you are fooling no one.

Following the Wigan game, there were questions raised as to whether Eboue could possibly play for Arsenal again. But, as always, Arsene Wenger backed his player and ensured he remained on the first team scene. At first, he was gently mocked by the home fans as they proclaimed to visiting supporters, "You’ve only come to see Eboue", and even stadium announcer, Paul Burrell, got in on the act, calling him "goal machine" when he netted two late goals against Blackburn last March.

A year later, the irony has largely been dropped from the Eboue chants. Much to his credit, after the nightmare of the Wigan game, the player got his head down and his act together and worked hard to redeem himself. Though his appearances have been limited this season, he has got on with his job with the minimum of fuss and without much of the stupidity and play-acting that used to blight his game.

The other reason for his resurgence is that, when he has played, Arsene Wenger has tended to use him more as a right-back than as a right-sided midfielder. He looks far more at home, focussed and effective in this position. In midfield, he was often guilty of over-playing and drifting out of position. As a defender, he knows he has responsibilities at the back but is not afraid to make striking cameo appearances when linking up with the attack - and that is how a modern-day full-back is expected to play.

The run he produced to set up Arsenal’s opener yesterday was not an isolated incident. Throughout the afternoon, he outshone most of his teammates and showed energy and flair in a match that largely lacked both. Maybe only having played a minimal part in Wednesday night's game helped, but one sensed that yesterday’s performance saw the completion of Emmanuel Eboue’s redemption after that dark day against Wigan last season.