Arsenal - 3 Reading - 0: As Arsenal cruised to victory last night, Reading were reminded that the difference between the top of the English Championship and even a B team in the upper reaches of the Premiership can be scary. Steve Coppell's team far from disgraced themselves, but were easily beaten by opponents missing most of their stars.
Robin van Persie and José Antonio Reyes were still on hand to get Arsenal's first two goals and the free-scoring Arturo Lupoli came off the bench to complete the victory as Quincy Owusu-Abeyie showed flashes of his talent.
The depth of promise at Highbury was plain, but Reading paid for not being as clinical, failing to take any of five chances - each, though, bringing saves from Manuel Almunia.
Reading made four changes from the weekend, a signal Coppell sees the Championship as his priority. That is hardly a surprise when promotion looks a real prospect, with his team top and unbeaten in 20 league matches since defeat in their opening fixture.
Coppell had described this as "a game we can cherish, but perhaps not a game we can relish", and that seemed spot on at half-time with Arsenal 2-0 ahead. Reading must have felt they could cause an upset against weakened opponents, but the sharpness of Arsenal's finishing proved the difference before the interval.
Only 12 minutes had gone when Reyes put Arsenal ahead, going round the goalkeeper Graham Stack to score from a Quincy Owusu-Abeyie pass.
With Van Persie a threat and Owusu-Abeyie lively with his running from the left, the home side threatened further goals early on. Stack, on loan at Reading from Arsenal, had to make a save from a Van Persie effort.
Arsenal were dominating possession but their flow of chances soon dried up, with Reyes too often wasting the ball. Reading were willing to go forward and Almunia made the first of four important saves before Reyes put his team in front.
Almunia then saved from Leroy Lita, Steve Harper - another former Arsenal player - and Dave Kitson before Arsenal went further ahead. A Philippe Senderos error brought one chance and some Reading breaks carried a threat. The tie seemed over, though, when Van Persie struck. He started the move with a pass to Seb Larsson and finished it with a fine low shot after Reyes had put Larsson's cross into his path.
Reading tried gamely to find a way back. Another good save by Almunia, from Stephen Hunt, denied them at the start of the second half after Johan Djourou was dispossessed. But Arsenal were in control and debutant Kerrea Gilbert brought a good stop from Stack before Lupoli put things beyond doubt. He coolly rounded Stack after a mistake by Ibrahima Sonko.
Guardian Service
ARSENAL: Almunia, Eboue, Larsson, Senderos, Gilbert, Muamba, Djourou, Flamini, Reyes (Cygan 75), Owusu-Abeyie (Bendtner 83), Van Persie (Lupoli 63). Subs not used: Poom, Connolly. Booked: Cygan. Goals: Reyes 12, Van Persie 42, Lupoli 65.
READING: Stack (Hahnemann 83), Murty, Ingimarsson, Sonko, Shorey (Makin 59), Oster, Harper, Sidwell, Hunt, Kitson, Lita (Doyle 72). Subs not used: Little, Convey.
Referee: L Mason (Lancashire).
