Arsenal mature to perfection

SOCCER/Uefa Champions League: Arsenal's senior players finally came of age last night. After failing to assume their responsibilities in a faltering season, there was maturity to the performances of Gilberto, Thierry Henry and Kolo Toure to ensure Arsenal could dominate the most venerable club in European football.

There was genuine backbone to the spine of Arsenal's side and belief must surely now course through them for the remainder of their campaign. A place in the quarter-finals of this competition, which would be only the fourth such appearance in their history, beckons.

How Arsenal raised their game, their tempo and the vision of their passing to so supreme a level would seem inexplicable to close observers of their season.

Henry, ably assisted in attack by the youngsters Cesc Fabregas and Jose Antonio Reyes, typified it with an individual goal of the highest quality, as memorable and as important as any of the 40 he has scored in this competition.

But this was a team performance which also went precisely to the plan of Arsene Wenger. The manager chose to avail himself of the element of surprise for this Spanish inquisition into his team's capacities, selecting the midfielder Alexander Hleb for a first start since Arsenal's FA Cup defeat at Bolton last month.

It was as bold as it was unexpected and the ambition was almost immediately repaid; after merely 82 seconds Arsenal had forged a way through Madrid's defence.

Henry advanced from the halfway line at such pace that only Reyes could keep up with him. With Jonathan Woodgate and Cicinho out of position, Henry threaded a low pass through. Reyes picked it up in the penalty area with time and space to spare, but the Spaniard's product did not fit the opportunity, with Iker Casillas pulling off a stunning one-handed save. The chase proved too much for Woodgate and after nine minutes the centre back departed the pitch in pain which Sven-Goran Eriksson must have shared.

Seeing Woodgate, the keystone of a Madrid defence that has kept 10 clean sheets in the 13 games since he made his latest comeback from a thigh injury, leave the fray appeared to lift the already invigorated visitors still further.

Arsenal's confidence, at such low ebb in recent weeks, was returning with every touch of the ball. Reyes seemed keen to punish a club who had once flirted with him without carrying through the courtship, and was tormenting Cicinho in Madrid's right-back position.

From there he delivered a cross of such accuracy it might been from the boot of David Beckham, but Henry's unchallenged header at the far post flashed wide. Cicinho dealt with Reyes' next incursion with an infraction that led to a booking.

The home side did not seem to know how to deal with Arsenal's impudence. A team of upstart youngsters had come to the Bernabeu, where Madrid have grown used to pummelling teams from the first whistle, and played with such alacrity as to shake the nine-time European champions out of their composure.

However, for all their opportunities, Arsenal had not made their dominance count and it was inevitable that Real would finally find their groove and expose the visitors' soft underbelly. That fragility is personified by the erratic centre back Philippe Senderos, who twice offered Madrid a route back into the match.

First he was wrong-footed by Ronaldo, though the striker's long-range shot demonstrated why he frustrates the socios, then he dawdled enough on the edge of the area for Beckham to steal possession. The ricochet fell to Ronaldo, who returned the ball to Beckham, but the England captain shot at Jens Lehmann.

The goalkeeper was to become an increasingly busy character. Robinho drew a fine save with a ferocious drive from 25 yards after a slip from Hleb, then he had to make a double save from a Roberto Carlos free-kick and Robinho's follow-up.

With half-time, the pendulum swung back in Arsenal's favour. Fabregas dabbed the ball to Henry in the centre circle. Henry carried the ball forward, beating first Ronaldo's half-hearted challenge, then Thomas Gravesen's lunge.

Henry was not even sprinting, but had by now encroached into Madrid's final third. He escaped Guti and Sergio Ramos to expose Casillas, who could do nothing to prevent Henry from finishing magnificently.

"Adios, adios, adios," sang the Arsenal faithful. Where once that might have been the refrain as Henry headed for Barcelona, they have hope anew.

REAL MADRID: Casillas, Cicinho, Sergio, Woodgate (Mejia 9), Carlos, Gravesen (Julio Baptista 76), Beckham, Guti, Zidane, Robinho (Raul 63), Ronaldo. Subs not used: Cobeno, Salgado, Cassano, Diogo. Booked: Cicinho, Casillas.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Flamini, Ljungberg, Hleb (Pires 76), Silva, Fabregas (Song Billong 90), Reyes (Diaby 80), Henry. Subs not used: Almunia, Walcott, Djourou, Lupoli. Booked: Silva, Reyes. Goal: Henry 47.

Referee: S Farina (Italy).