SOCCER: Uefa Champions League: Arsenal 2 FC Porto 0: Arsenal's return to form is gathering pace to such an extent that they may soon accelerate into the knockout phase of the Champions League. A win away to CSKA Moscow on October 17th will give them nine points and all but confirm their place in the last 16.
The numbers, all the same, matter less than the air of well-being. Arsenal gave a mature display in which they slowly strengthened their grip to crush Porto's frail hopes.
Despite the worrying leg injury to the splendid William Gallas in the last minute, the fixture spoke of a club that can once again expect a major role in the tournament. All of that was illustrated after initial disruption.
Arsenal were unsettled before they had even started. During the warm-up Johan Djourou experienced a recurrence of his foot injury and had to withdraw from the line-up. That necessitated William Gallas switching to central defence and Justin Hoyte being upgraded from substitute to left back, the role in which he had conceded the penalty that brought the 1-0 loss at Manchester City.
The composition of the back four was no academic matter in a fixture where Arsene Wenger felt a degree of wariness towards the visitors. Before the game he had talked about the need to control a Champions League fixture rather than indulge in a headlong chase after goals. His team selection showed that he had meant every word of it and he would have been happy to wait even longer than the 38 minutes that preceded the opener.
It was not the sort of clash to excite a large crowd in search of great drama. Arsenal, though, had been careful and composed before they eventually took the lead, as if they had been weighing up the visitors.
The interval was only seven minutes away when Wenger's side made its breakthrough.
Emmanuel Eboue was too powerful to be checked in his surge down the right and a deep, swinging cross could not be reached by the centre half Pepe.
Thierry Henry rose behind him to head across and past the Brazilian goalkeeper Helton. It was his 50th goal in European competition during a career with three clubs.
There was a sound case for thinking of this as an Arsenal side that had learned how to acquit itself en route to the final last season. A change of gear had been obvious with half an hour gone as Henry angled a ball to Van Persie, but the Dutchman's finish was rash and high. Within five minutes Van Persie was doing better to collect a long pass from Gallas and insist on a save from Helton.
Progress towards an opening goal could, nonetheless, have been much shorter. In the fourth minute, Arsenal continued to press after a corner and Cesc Fabregas pulled a cross back for Kolo Toure to shoot home, but the referee's assistant judged, somewhat debatably, that the ball had already gone behind before the Spaniard reached it.
While Porto were dextrous enough, with Ricardo Quaresma and Anderson intermittently showing neat touches, the threat to Arsenal was mostly hypothetical. The stereotype of Portuguese football as a technically adroit style that lacks a cutting edge was reinforced in the minds of spectators here as Helder Postiga, the former Spurs striker, had no impact before he was replaced at half-time.
The rejigged Porto had no time to show its merits before Arsenal had put themselves in a comfortable position. After 48 minutes the impressive Gallas went on a run across the pitch, stopping only to let Henry deliver the final ball that freed Alexander Hleb on the right. His finish was low and efficient.
While the match had lost the tingle of uncertainty that leaves a crowd nervous and enthralled the display must have been exactly as Wenger had envisaged. His side had gradually shown that its passing was more pertinent and its forwards more incisive. Arsenal were on course for a fourth consecutive win in all competitions.
Better still for Wenger, there was a balance to the work and Henry, free of post-World Cup fatigue and a recent injury, was his old, formidable self. Following the changes to the line-up in the summer, evidence abounded of men finding their place in the Arsenal pattern. Gallas, who had scored against Sheffield United on Saturday, appears to be elated by his transfer from Chelsea.
In addition to the rigorous defending, he had used the ball with discrimination even before assisting in the second goal. Delighted as he may be at Arsenal, the satisfaction was widespread last night, despite the injury to the Frenchman.
"It looks like a hamstring strain which could put him out for three weeks but we must wait until morning," said Wenger who was greatly encouraged by the team's display. "We are getting stronger and stronger. We are sharp and we always looked dangerous and I feel it has a lot of potential and we are getting better by the game."
ARSENAL: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Hoyte, Gallas (Song Billong 90), Hleb (Walcott 85), Fabregas, Silva, Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie (Ljungberg 74). Subs not used: Almunia, Julio Baptista, Adebayor. Booked: Rosicky, Silva.
FC PORTO: Helton, Bosingwa, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Cech, Gonzalez, Paulo Assuncao, Ricardo Costa (Raul Meireles 45), Anderson (Adriano 65), Quaresma, Postiga (Lopez 45). Subs not used: Vitor Baia, Sektioui, Fucile, Jorginho. Booked: Ricardo Costa.
Referee: Stefano Farina (Italy).
