A virtually full-strength Arsenal side hammered Scottish Premier minnows Dunfermline 3-0... but according to some reports, it should have been plenty more. Thierry Henry proved to be the star of the show, opening the scoring inside 5 minutes, with Ljungberg adding a second, two minutes later. Kanu made it three on the half-hour.

It was all-change in the second half, with a few of the fringe names getting a run-out: Malz and Wreh were joined by Ashley Cole and new boy Guy Demel (replacing Vieira... ironic?) in a 68th minute quadruple-substitution.

Dunfermline's manager, Jimmy Calderwood was most complimentary. 'They started well, their attitude was right and if you’re really realistic you can see the quality they’ve got and that’s how it should be. They had pace, movement, first touch, their vision, and they are super athletes, giants, big powerful lads and every one of them with great pace.

'Any team could learn from that tremendous showing. They played Barcelona, Ajax. And I think they took it all out on us.'