*Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Prague*
Arsenal put on a magical display at the Emirates Stadium as they
closed in on the Champions League knockout stages.
Cesc Fabregas' stunning strike put the Gunners ahead after five
minutes and David Hubacek's own goal made it 2-0.
Theo Walcott got his first Champions League goal after a
goalkeeping error before Alexander Hleb scored one and set up
Walcott for his second.
Fabregas finished a fabulous move and substitute Nicklas Bendtner
wrapped up Arsenal's best ever home win in Europe.
The margin of victory also equalled the biggest win in the
Champions League, matching Juventus' 2003 demolition of
Olympiakos.
It was a simply breathtaking performance from the in-form Gunners,
who recorded their 12th successive victory and matched their best
result under Arsene Wenger.
Wenger, who celebrated his 58th birthday on Monday, rewarded
Walcott for his eye-catching cameo at the weekend with a first
Champions League start and he responded in style.
The 18-year-old, who started up front alongside Emmanuel Adebayor,
had a quiet opening 20 minutes as his team-mates continued in the
dazzling form they have shown all season.
Emmanuel Eboue's pace caused havoc down the right, Hleb was
outstanding on the left while Fabregas pulled the strings in the
middle.
Hleb's trickery took him to the byeline and he cut the ball back
for Fabregas to lift a perfectly-placed shot beyond keeper Martin
Vaniak as Arsenal took the lead inside five minutes.
Slavia fashioned a rare chance when David Kalivoda fired narrowly
over the bar before Arsenal made it 2-0.
The visitors failed to clear a corner and Hleb's powerful strike
took a heavy deflection off Hubacek's outstretched leg to beat
Vaniak.
Walcott's first telling contribution came after 28 minutes when he
delivered an inviting cross for his strike partner, but Adebayor
could only head straight at the keeper.
A little over 10 minutes later, the striker became the youngest
Englishman to score a Champions League goal - eclipsing Wayne
Rooney.
Daniel Pudil played his keeper into trouble with an ambitious
backpass and Vaniak's attempted clearance went straight to
Walcott.
The teenager still had plenty to do though, coolly sidestepping
Vaniak before firing a precise shot in between two covering
defenders.
Desperate Slavia coach Karel Jarolim made a change at the break but
Arsenal's response was simply to find another gear.
Hleb got the goal his performance deserved from Fabregas' perfect
pass and the Belarussian then set up Walcott, who raced down the
left channel before stroking home with the outside of his right
foot.
It was a sumptuous finish - reminiscent of Thierry Henry - but the
best was yet to come.
Slavia could - and did - only stand and admire as Arsenal went from
defence to attack in a flash, the ball gliding from Hleb to
Adebayor and on to Walcott before the teenager set up Fabregas to
provide the gloss finish.
Those three goals in 13 thrilling minutes of the second-half put
Arsenal 6-0 up and Wenger, not surprisingly, made a triple change,
introducing Gilberto, Bendtner and Tomas Rosicky for Adebayor, Hleb
and Mathieu Flamini.
The changes disrupted Arsenal's rhythm and brought welcome respite
to the demoralised Slavia players.
They even had a chance when William Gallas' slip let in Stanislav
Vlcek, but Manuel Almunia made a smart save.
Walcott came agonisingly close to a hat-trick but was denied from
six yards by a fabulous save from Vaniak - before Rosicky fired the
rebound against the bar.
Arsenal eventually got their seventh when Bendtner played a one-two
with Eboue, who backheeled his return for the Dane to poke the ball
home at the second attempt.
