Arsenal 2 Celta Vigo 0
Celta Vigo were dismissed 2-0 as Thierry Henry, who had not scored in his last 10 Champions League games at Highbury, sealed another sumptuous display with a first-half brace as Arsenal never threatened to squander the advantage they earned in Galicia.
That drought was a symbol of Arsenal's propensity to stutter against continental opposition; the calmness with which he ended it was indicative of the confidence consuming every member of the team.
After their five-star showing at Portsmouth, Arsenal were able to enter cruise control before half time, stroking the ball around with enviable excellence. Spanish strugglers Celta may not be the most formidable of opposition - this was scarcely the ideal basis for a debate on the relative merits of The Premiership and La Liga - but European as well as domestic domination is clearly on the agenda at Highbury.
And Arsenal ensured injury time was altogether more relaxed than at Old Trafford on Tuesday as any thoughts of a Celta challenge disappeared within 15 minutes as Henry became the fourth man to reach 30 Champions League goals.
It was another strike highlighting the artistry in Arsenal. The delicacy of Dennis Bergkamp's touch was matched by his pirouette. Henry, adopting his normal station on the last defender's shoulder, met his exquisite pass to drill in his 28th of the season.
Bergkamp's masterclass continued. Ashley Cole was the beneficiary of a pass of perception, precision and perfection; his scuffed shot was not worthy of it.
And Celta's problems, already confounded by two enforced substitutions within half-an-hour, increased as Arsenal extanded their lead.
The Gunners' feared front four combined in a sweeping move. Robert Pires, started it, deep in his own half. His sweeping ball found Fredrik Ljungberg, who exchanged passes with Bergkamp. The Swede crossed, via Fernando Caceras' glancing header, to Henry to nonchalantly sidefoot home.
Celta, while starved of the ball for long periods, chipped in with flurries of shots after each Arsenal goal. Peter Luccin, one of the early withdrawals, forced Jens Lehmann to tip over while Jose Ignacio skewed his effort horribly wide. At 2-0, the wasteful Mauricio Pinilla volleyed past the post and Gustavo Lopez showed audacity and no little ability in testing Lehmann from either flank.
And though Lehmann needed to save from Caceras on the hour, Celta's attacks were isolated as Arsenal's superiority could have been made more apparent in the scoreline. Pablo Cavallero's instinctive block denied Henry a fourth Gunners hat-trick. Pires was stopped similarly though Bergkamp was denied in more unorthodox fashion.
As his lob dropped marginally wide, the immaculate Dutchman had the committed keeper's studs in his chest. No penalty, ruled Pierluigi Collina, in a rare but inconsequential error.
Collina was correct, however, in showing Celta's substitute Pablo Contreras a second yellow card for a crude block on Jose Antonio Reyes. Another Highbury red card, but the only statistics to concern Arsenal are positive; eight consecutive wins, five straight victories in the Champions League and a place in the last eight of Europe's premier club competition.
The misfortunes of others and their own incomparable excellence have catapulted Arsenal into the status among the favourites; now they have to live up to that billing.
| | Arsenal | Celta Vigo |
| Possession % | 60% | 40% |
| Goals | 2 | 0 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 4 |
| Shots off target | 7 | 6 |
| Blocked shots | 1 | 3 |
| Corners | 8 | 7 |
| Fouls | 23 | 20 |
| Offsides | 1 | 0 |
| Yellow cards | 0 | 0 |
| Red cards | 0 | 1 |
 | ||
