Wenger praises scintillating Henry display in rout of Boro

Middlesbrough 0 Arsenal 4

Henry led a 4-0 rout of Middlesbrough at the Riverside to see the Gunners go level with Manchester United and Chelsea at the top of the Premiership and afterwards claimed not to be 100% fit. Arsenal boss Wenger is also expecting more from Henry, but resisted the temptation to declare him the best striker in the world.

He said: "It's difficult to say I just think it's very important for him to go as far as he can. There is still more in him than what he does at the moment. That's very important to me, every year he makes a step forward and I hope he will make another one this season."

Henry said: "I'm not 100% fit yet I cannot run like I used to run yet but I have scored three goals in three games so I don't know what can happen this season. Even when we were 4-0 up we kept going, kept trying to score, and that's the spirit we need this season. That's what we should have done against Bolton last season when we were winning 2-0 and they got back into the game."

Henry, Gilberto and Sylvain Wiltord put Arsenal 3-0 up before 23 minutes had elapsed before a second goal by Wiltord killed the game off.

It was just what the Gunners needed after a week in which Sol Campbell had been sent off against Everton and then charged with violent conduct for kicking out at Eric Djemba-Djemba in the Community Shield. Wenger insisted there was no feeling that it was Arsenal against the world in his camp.

He added: "We support Sol but there's no feeling in the dressing room that the whole world is against us.

"We just think what happened to Sol was unfortunate and he gave the right response on the pitch. They had a chance in the first minute with (Szilard) Nemeth and then we played a great first half. Our passing was very sharp and incisive, we managed to play well at at a slow and quick tempo and we were very efficient in our finishing. I was very pleased with the first half and although there was not the same flow in the second I loved the way we wanted to keep it going. We missed a few chances but when we scored the fourth it was all over."

Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren hopes Danny Mills will join the club permanently after the England defender completed a one-year loan move from Leeds.

Mills and Spain international Gaizka Mendieta were unavailable to play against Arsenal and McClaren hopes the pair will strengthen his side at a time when he is desperate for reinforcement. McClaren said: "We have eight players out through injury or suspension and our team can only get better. Danny Mills is a winner, he's an international and he brings that experience and we need a little bit more strength in defence, and Danny will provide that.

"I couldn't believe that we could get him on loan for a year, I'm delighted with that. It's a great signing and hopefully we can convince him that this is where his future lies permanently." McClaren admitted the gulf in class had been there for all to see.

"But there are 36 games to go and we just have to pick ourselves up when we go to Leicester on Tuesday."

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Riggott (Davies 66), Southgate, Cooper, Parnaby, Wright, Boateng, Doriva, Juninho Paulista, Nemeth (Downing 85), Christie.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Cole, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Ljungberg (Parlour 74), Silva, Pires (Edu 74), Vieira, Wiltord (Bergkamp 74), Henry.

Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).