Arsenal 5 WBA 2: Non-stop entertainment

Arsenal having got Kanu back had lost Dennis, whilst our long-term injuries remained the same as before. Gilberto Silva was judged to be fully recovered from his fatiguing trip to Brazil. So our midfield started with Wiltord right, Gilberto and Vieira central. Edu went wide left while Kanu partnered Henry up front.

Edu had headed over with our first attack and although it was WBA who were employing wingbacks in a 5-3-2 formation it was the Gunners fullbacks who showed them how it should be done. Less than three minutes gone and Ashley picks up a nicely flighted ball down the left-hand channel, turns a defender inside out as he skips into the box and then bends a shot with the outside of his left peg into the top corner. Whallop!!! A beautiful sight to behold, 1-0 Arsenal and the noisy Baggies were not silenced but at least they caught their breath.

From then on we just flowed majestically through the half with a series of passing moves that were so slick it was difficult to merely count the number of passes, far less figure out who was involved in them. Edu and Wiltord were switching and both full backs joining in attacks on a regular basis. Hoult stopped a Henry break, a great Wiltord run and cross was blocked, Kanu was caught offside and just rarely the Baggies got the ball forward for the odd shot, Dobie even forced Seaman into a save.

We're talking slick turns, fast breaks, swift inter-passing, one-twos by the bucket load, breathtaking runs, tasteful step-overs, mesmerising flicks, delightful control, instant passes, long passes, short passes, the whole A-Z of total football as previously demonstrated by the likes of Netherlands, France and Brazil. It occasionally ended with a foul on Vieira like the one by Gregan that should have been a yellow or like the one by McInnes on Pat that was a yellow but shouldn't have been.

With something over 20 minutes gone Lauren found Kanu who took it on while our full back continued his run, a great collect and turn by Lauren from Kanu's pass, bamm! 2-0 from close range. 'You might as well go home.' What followed was like a knife through butter, a total carve up, the dissection of a midfield and defence for mere fun. The wilful slaughter of a team that were giving their all but were playing beings from a superior planet. Edu picked up a yellow merely because Durkin needed a break because he was getting giddy watching our quick-fire, slick, now you see it - now you don't football. Wiltord through on goal, two, maybe three yards offside, he chips the keeper Kerrpow!!
3-0.

Jeremie Aliadiere open his account....

Another peachy ball through from our left side across to the right hand channel. Magical, wizard, spellbinding stuff from the Arsenal. Albion wouldn't roll over and die though, Dobie had a shot on the turn that drew a save from Dave. But straight away it's up their end again and Hoult beats Sylv in a race to the ball on the edge of the box. Some light entertainment as Wiltord gets a ball in the face from Cole but the Gunners just party on dudes.

A session of keep-ball followed with a 24 pass move, I kid you not it was at least 24 passes before Clement got seriously pissed-off and upended Kanu. Henry skins a fullback and fires one in from the left. 'Boring boring Arsenal' is ringing around the ground as a late flag stopped the busy Wiltord after tasty stuff from a Henry-Edu combo on our left. We had to clear off the line before half-time, but so what, it's a small price to pay for such awesome football. The second half opens with Kanu taking it off Henry's toe as he was about to pull the trigger. 'Gary Megson's ginger' - it always puzzles opposition fans that one! We can't be taking it seriously because Keown was playing one-twos in midfield and we're definitely not paying attention when we gift them a goal. Cole tries to trap a high ball but only slips Dobie a sitter, he tries to screw up by passing it into our empty net but fails and beats Seaman anyway. 3-1 and time to sleepwalk as Albion hit us with two breaks down the right, one ending with a shot just wide. Because they had red numbers on stripped shirts and I can't ready bloody red numbers on black and white shirts I haven't a clue who it
was.

A fifteen-pass move ends with Thierry breaking down the left and firing into the side netting. A fourteen-pass move follows which involved Gilberto 4 or 5 times. He likes to find space and play the give and go. If we wanted to we could probably have kept the ball for hours but Arsenal prefer to go forward because it's the Wenger way. Marshall on for McInnes. Brilliant ball by Lauren to Wiltord, fabulous run by Wiltord. Great cross by Lauren. Arsenal win a corner but the lino, a Peter Reid impersonator according to Marion, was ten yards behind play so can't give it. A Kanu shot, a Seaman save and a Keown booking follow before Ray replaces Kanu.

... and celebrates with provider Henry

Henry breaks left again and hits the side netting again. Gilberto hacked down from behind but no yellow, Sol late and gets a card. Seaman does a mad hatter routine on the edge of our box and is beaten all ends up, but Martin saves the day with a header that bounces into Dave's very grateful arms. 4-1 Arsenal as Wiltord bags his 4th in 3 games following another express train roaring down our left and crossing, it must have been Cole or Henry but I'm not sure which. We relax again with a fairly laid back 23-man-move which ends when Wiltord on the right finds Lauren inside and his left-foot shot is just wide of the near post.

Pat is off to a huge ovation and Kolo Toure, who comes on in central midfield, plays his third position in three games. Could he also double as a spare keeper I wonder? It wouldn't surprise me! Kolo puts himself about with great enthusiasm, that's Gooner speak for 'could have got a card,' Sylvain is replaced by Aliadiere and man-of-the-match Wiltord, according to the Arsenal phone in vote, leaves to a richly deserved mega-ovation. Roberts pulls one back for the Baggies with an offside goal with about 2 minutes to go. 4-2 and a score-line that fails to reflect our dominance. It was the same lino who allowed Sylvain's offside goal in the first half by the way.

The last thing Albion needed was another fast striker for the last few minutes and they couldn't catch him as he got on the end of Henry's left wing cross. It's was a more respectable 5-2 now, thank you and goodnight Baggies. Top marks to their players and fans who both gave their all to no avail. They came, they saw, they got shredded. We're top of the League and the Scum are second, that merely confirms what we all know, the tables at the start of the season are meaningless.

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