Arsenal were taken to pieces in a first half which underlined why United are leading the Premiership by so many points. They don't half score a lot of goals. It was a pretty even half in other respects, but their finishing was superb, and it seemed like the ball was going in the net every timne they came forward.

The game was open from the start, and Dwight Yorke put United ahead after just 2 minutes. It was just a shame Keane didn't get to Scholes's cross ahead of him, as their skipper had been offside.

Arsenal came back and deservedly equalised after 15 minutes, Henry's near post shot beating his international teammate Barthez after two more, Pires and Wiltord, combined well down the right.

But 2 minutes later they were ahead again, Grimandi played Yorke onside and the striker finished coolly for his second.

Beckham made United's, and Yorke's, third on 22 minutes. He skipped round Silvinho deep on their right wing, and hit a cross from the halfway line which Stepanovs misjudged. It cleared him and Yorke took the ball and made it 3.

Yorke made the 4th for Keane on 25 minutes, beating Stepanovs' desperate tackle on the halfway line and bringing the ball into our box before crossing for Keane to score on the far side.

On 36 minutes Grimandi's slip let in Nicky Butt on the right wing, and his cross found Solskjaer at the near post.

Arsenal tightened things up a bit in the second half, Silvinho moving to left back and Ljungberg coming on to bolster the midfield (see later..). But United won that half too, with a Sheringham strike a minute from time, set up by Solskjaer.

As I said, their finishing was top drawer. But there's also no escaping the number of slips by our defenders that contributed to them. There's little doubt in my mind that Adams and Keown (or even just one of them) would have stopped at least a couple of the 6 chances from happening. We had a back 4 probably none of which would be in Wenger's first choice first eleven.

The talking point here has to be Arsène Wenger's team selection. I'm not saying it was wrong, but I'd love to know the reasons. Changes in defence were forced, but wouldn't you expect, given those defensive changes, a team choice which kept things as unchanged as possible in front of them?

Dixon was out with a jarred knee, forcing Luzhny to be played at right back and Grimandi therefore alongside Stepanovs in central defence. If Dixon had been fit, Luzhny and Stepanovs would have probably had a chance to repeat their terrific partnership against Chelsea, and Gilles could have partnered Vieira.

So far so good. But what about the left-hand side? Arsene Wenger has resisted using Silvinho as a midfielder for so long that it came as no small surprise to see him playing there today, in front of Ashley Cole in the left back position. Playing Silvinho there today, his first game back after injury in a new position, looked something of a gamble. Particularly as it meant that Pires had to move to the right wing.

You could argue that the absence of Lauren on international duty, and the need to play Parlour centrally, limited Wenger's options. But what about these: Ljungberg and Pires on the wings (Freddie did in fact come on the Cole at half-time, with Cole going off. So why not start that way?). Or how about getting Dennis to play on the right wing as he's done to great effect before?

Whatever embarassment Arsenal were feeling before the game, about the huge points gap between United and the rest, will be greatly magnified by this result. Now we'll see their character, as Arsenal are going to have a tough fight to get the second automatic Champs League spot. Liverpool, playing in the League Cup final as I write, are 5 points behind us with 2 games in hand.