Arsenal lift title gloom in great style

English FA Premiership: Arsenal...6 Southampton...1. Arsenal could have done with this against Leeds United on Sunday but they chose appropriate opponents on which to take out their anger at losing the title.

In 10 days' time they meet Southampton again in the FA Cup final - and though there were too many regulars absent from both teams to make this a true dress rehearsal, Gordon Strachan's squad will surely carry scars from this in Cardiff.

The Saints must have been tempted to decamp to the Millennium Stadium after 26 minutes, by which time Arsenal were 5-0 up. Led by the irrepressible Thierry Henry and aided by Southampton's hapless defending, Arsene Wenger's team ran riot.

Jermaine Pennant got one of the top flight's fastest hat-tricks, scoring three times in the space of 11 minutes on his first Premiership start, and Robert Pires also finished with three goals.

Strachan will somehow have to restore confidence for Cardiff. His team created chances but will not have the benefit of playing against Igors Stepanovs next time.

Arsenal will enjoy this win but it had been plain from the team sheet that both clubs were far more concerned about the Cup final on May 17th than picking up points here. Arsenal started with only three players - Pires, Henry and Ray Parlour - who are likely to begin the game in Cardiff, while Southampton featured a maximum of five.

All the same the opening half was a thorough embarrassment for Southampton. Their team may have been gutted beforehand of players such as Claus Lundekvam, Antti Niemi, Matt Oakley and James Beattie but they cannot have expected to find themselves so completely ripped apart.

Henry revelled in the space afforded him and had a role in four of Arsenal's first-half strikes. The striker can still win the Premiership's Golden Boot but there was no sign of selfishness in his efforts. With two shots and a header Pennant suggested that Arsenal may have another player worthy of note without opening their chequebook for next season.

Given Sunday's disappointment, Wenger took the chance to give some of his squad a break and did not even find a place on the bench for Martin Keown, Ashley Cole and Gilberto Silva. He admits that winning the FA Cup would be little consolation after losing the title but he does not want to end the season empty-handed.

Southampton's defence was a shambles, their midfield failed to close down and instead just dropped back to the edge of their box in the vain hope of holding out. By the time Jo Tessem scored from a cross by Wayne Bridge, who was playing at left midfield, it scarely mattered.

But this was a better way for Arsenal to lift the title gloom. Pires, having tapped in from close range and scored from a Henry cross, provided the highlight just after half-time when his 30-yard chip floated over Paul Jones and into the net.

Guardian Service

ARSENAL: Taylor, Toure, Luzhny (Tavlaridis 76), Stepanovs, Garry, Pennant (Hoyte 90), Parlour, van Bronckhorst, Pires (Bergkamp 62), Kanu, Henry. Subs not used: Wiltord, Warmuz. Booked: Henry. Goals: Pires 9, Pennant 16, 19, Pires 23, Pennant 26, Pires 47.

SOUTHAMPTON: Jones, Telfer, Williams, Michael Svensson, Bridge, Fernandes (Baird 27), Prutton, Anders Svensson (Oakley 55), Higginbotham, Tessem, Kevin Davies (Beattie 76). Subs not used: Aaron Davies, Ormerod. Booked: Anders Svensson. Goals: Tessem 35.

Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire)