Wilshere was placed under the media spotlight ahead of the visit to West Brom when pictures emerged of him apparently smoking on a night out.
He responded by claiming his side's equaliser in a 1-1 draw at The Hawthorns, albeit via a Jonas Olsson deflection.
It was not Wilshere's finest ever performance, with the England midfielder struggling to impose himself in the first half, but it was an apt time to end a remarkable league drought which stretches back to a 4-2 win at Aston Villa in November 2010.
"He is an honest lad and when he's wrong he knows it," said boss Arsene Wenger, whose side go top of the table by virtue of scoring more goals than fellow pacesetters Liverpool.
"Today the players do not get away with anything - we got away with a bit more. But they know that is the rule of the game and the rules of modern society and they have to deal with it.
"But what is more interesting for England and for Arsenal is that he shows the right response on the pitch.
"He had a difficult first half where he was fouled a lot but showed he has character and kept going. At least that (barren run) is done now."
Wilshere was clearly delighted to find the back of the net - and celebrated accordingly - but Wenger suggested there is no real pressure to up his scoring rate considerably.
"I don't think he will ever be a goalscorer," said the Frenchman. "He's a player who can create chances and provide for others. In our job it is quite simple: you need players who score and players who give the ball to those who score.
Source: PA
Source: PA