Arsenal:
       Lehmann
Toure Campbell Cygan Cole
Ljungberg Edu Parlour Pires
Henry (Aliadiere 89) Kanu (Gilberto 75)

We took the lead on 24 minutes after a great passing move, the difference being made by the extra man created by Ashley Cole's run beyond Henry into the box. Cole had started things carrying the ball from the half way line. He passed infield to Pires and continued his run. Bob passed to Henry in the D, and he in turn knocked it first time towards Cole who had his back to goal a few yards ahead. Ashley hit it straight back to Thierry and his low shot slipped inside the right hand post giving the keeper no chance.

Straight up the other end, Sol and Edu combined well to get the ball off Martins as he broke into the box, and it was hoofed upfield over the top for Henry. He was unlucky that his first touch took the ball too far forward and too close to the keeper.

Arsenal continued to keep hold of the ball well, with Kanu playing a blinder and Pires slipping infield off the left wing, creating problems for Inter both himself and by creating space for Cole's runs. But just after the half hour Edu gave the ball away softly a few yards inside our half and Inter had players positioned to take advantage. Martins found Vieri on the left of the box and his shot took a deflection of Campbell as Sol tried to block, and looped up and over Lehmann, going in off the underside of the bar.

A few minutes later Lehmann had to make a good save from a Materazzi free kick, seeing it late but diving down to his right to knock it away from the goal.

3 minutes into the second half Freddie and Thierry combined to make put us ahead again. Ljungerg won the ball with a terrific challenge on the left wing, playing it forward to Henry further down the wing. He took it forward and into the box, teasing a couple of defenders with feints to cut inside before going forward and slipping it to the edge of the 6 yard box where Freddie, narrowly beating the offside trap, was unmarked and took 2 touches to knock it past Toldo.

A couple of minutes later Cole was unlucky to concede a free kick on the left wing and van der Meyde chipped it towards our penalty spot where Cannavarro rose unchallenged but could only head it down into Lehmann's grateful hands.

Another couple of minutes and it was Arsenal who nearly broke through again. This time Pires found Henry on the left and he unselfishly tried to knock it back to Bob who was in space on the right but a defender coming in to try to block the expected shot from Henry got a lucky touch on it.

Cygan conceded a free kick (and a booking) just outside the box after a rare sloppy moment from Arsenal. Probably just as well that he did as Martins was charging into the box with the ball. Van der Meyde blasted the dead ball just over the bar.

Henry made a great run into the box after Arsenal broke up an Inter attack (Kanu, of all people) and broke quickly. Pires and Ljungberg were both in support but unfortnuately when Henry got to the goalline and chipped it across goal Freddie had made a run to the near post - if he'd stayed back on the right hand side of the goal it would have been a tap-in.

With 20 minutes to go Inter made their 3rd substitution, having already changed 2 of their back 3. This time it was striker Cruz coming on to join Martins and Vieri, replacing midfielder van der Meyde. Arsenal incidentally had the unfit Keown and Gilberto on the bench, together with 5 youngsters.

Cruz immediately created a half chance for Vieri with a terrific long cross from their left wing. Fortunately it went a little long for the striker and he could only reach up with his right foot and hook it softly goalwards, easy for Lehmann.

Inter started to get a little more control of the game, and Wenger brought Kanu off for Gilberto, securing the fact that this was a fantastic performance by Kanu, his best for a long long time. It seemed a strange decision, almost inviting Inter to attack us for the rest of the game.

Campbell got a bit lucky, catching Cruz inside the box but somehow giving away a corner (the one thing it wasn't). Some brave defending by Capbell and then Toure and Lehmann cleared the goalmouth scramble from the corner.

Henry went for a solo effort, bringing the ball in from the left wing and beating the defender to get into the box but from a narrow angle his shot was tipped round the far post by Toldo. The corner came to Freddie by the far post but it was less than a half chance as he was having to run away from goal to get to it and then try to hook it back in. He ended up missing it completely.

Martins crept into the box to get onto a cute through ball, but Cole did brilliantly to turn and get there for what was probably a goal-saving challenge. Lehmann's knee crashed into the back of his head.

We cleared the ball from the resulting corner (with Materazzi appealing in vain for a penalty) and Thierry Henry was set free with a run from his own half. He checked back, looked like he might pass to Pires who was in space on the right, but a defender had got back to block the route so he burst past his marker instead (Javier Zanetti, who'd had a good game against Henry) and blasted a low shot inside the far post from a narrow angle.

Then with 3 minutes to go Henry slipped the ball into the box from the right (after a fantastic cross-field ball by Cole). Freddie missed it in the centre of the box, but it came through to Edu on the far side of the box and he knocked it calmly home for 4-1.

Aliadiere came on for Henry and set Pires up for the 5th. The young Frenchman did brilliantly to rob his man on the right wing, took it towards the keeper and laid it back on a plate for Pires. 5-1.

Well, I asked Arsenal for something special, but this was way beyond my wildest hopes. We actually go above Inter on the head-to-head results (see table). Who'd have believed that after the the 3-0 loss at home on the first day of the campaign?

Quite wonderful. Of course, we need to keep our feet on the ground and remember that we still need a win at home to Lokomotiv if we're to go through. It's a very very tight group now, any 2 from the 4 teams could go through (except both Inter and Dynamo). And that this one performance does not necessarily mean that Arsenal have worked out how to play in the Champs League. It made a bloody nice change though.

Rupe adds...
This article from the Observer (written by former Gooner fanzine writer Amy Lawrence) points out that Inter's keeper Toldo, on his own, cost them considerably more than our whole starting XI!