CARLING CUP/ Arsenal 5 Wolves 1: For manager Arsene Wenger this was a near-perfect night. Patrick Vieira came through 90 minutes on his return, Jérémie Aliadière underlined his potential with two goals and his young Arsenal team eased past a near full-strength Wolves to earn another run-out in the quarter-final of the League Cup.
This was men against boys all right and the men were outclassed.
Even before Sylvain Wiltord slotted in Arsenal's fourth from Vieira's pass and Francesc Fabregas got number five to become the club's youngest scorer, this had become a humiliation for Wolves, who were taken apart by what amounted to Arsenal's second string.
Wolverhampton goalkeeper Andy Marshall kept the score down and Alex Rae's reply was greeted with ironic applause by the home crowd.
As expected, Wenger had picked a team which bore no resemblance to his usual line-up, showing a full 11 changes from the team which had started on Sunday.
Yet there was an element of excitement around a less than full Highbury thanks to the return of Vieira.
The midfielder's previous appearance had been a brief one six weeks earlier in Kiev in the Champions League, where he came on as a substitute and aggravated a thigh problem. Not since facing Newcastle in late September had he started or played here.
Alongside the captain was the 16-year-old Fabregas and behind him the American defender Frankie Simek was given his first-team debut.
There were a couple of far more familiar faces in the starting XI in Nwankwo Kanu and Wiltord, and Kanu twice went close in the opening 10 minutes as Arsenal began in lively fashion.
Having been guilty of a dreadful miss, Kanu then hit a post after a captivating run past three defenders
Such are the two sides of the Nigerian - capable of missing from a few yards one minute and gliding brilliantly past opponents the next.
Given that Wolves had started with what was close to their strongest available line-up, their large following of supporters cannot have been too impressed to find them almost permanently on the back foot right from the start.
What little possession they had was wasted with long hopeful passes and it was Arsenal's players who caught the eye.
David Bentley showed good touch coming in off the left flank. Like Robert Pires he is a right-footer who can play on that side and the 19-year-old England youth international is highly regarded here.
Yet it was a Wolves error, rather than any invention from Arsenal, which resulted in Wenger's team taking a 24th-minute lead.
Lee Naylor underhit a backpass as Kanu loomed behind him and Aliadière reacted quicker than Jody Craddock to beat Marshall and register his second goal of the season.
It was no more than Arsenal deserved; up to that point their brightness and energy drew a marked contrast with a leaden Wolves.
Yet in the final 15 minutes of the first half Wolves stirred and Arsenal slowed. After Paul Ince had a shot saved, Nathan Blake was put through by Kenny Miller but shot wide.
Wolves must have wanted to start the second half in the same fashion but Arsenal again seized the initiative.
Marshall saved well from Kanu twice and then Wiltord before two more goals arrived.
Though Wolves looked rightly aggrieved not to get a penalty when Stathis Tavlaridis barged Blake at 1-0, they could have no complaints at going further behind.
After Kanu had tapped in Wiltord's cross, a brilliant Aliadière goal lit up the night. From Kanu's pass he ran from near halfway, outwitted two defenders and curled in a low shot past Marshall. - Guardian Service
ARSENAL: Stack, Tavlaridis, Clichy, Hoyte (Skulason 55), Wiltord, Vieira, Simek, Fabregas Soler, Bentley (Smith 78), Kanu, Aliadiere (Papadopulos 83). Subs Not Used: Shaaban, Owusu-Abeyie. Booked: Simek. Goals: Aliadiere 24, Kanu 68, Aliadiere 71, Wiltord 79, Fabregas Soler 88.
WOLVERHAMPTON: Marshall, Naylor, Craddock, Butler, Andrews (Sturridge 68), Gudjonsson, Rae, Ince, Camara (Newton 73), Blake, Miller (Kennedy 60). Subs Not Used: Oakes, Silas. Booked: Gudjonsson. Goal: Rae 81.
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
