High expectations ... but glorious Gunners sweat on Fabregas

Arsenal 5 Aston Villa 0

He picked the wrong game: on days such as this, Arsenal fans must think they have already died and gone to heaven.

This was supposed to be the Gunners’ warm-up for Wednesday’s Champions League meeting with Juventus, but it turned out to be little more than a glorified warm-down from last Tuesday’s thunderous first-leg triumph. The passing was sparkling, the finishing emphatic and the movement mesmerising, but it was almost too easy. Villa’s performance was so feeble that Arsenal could afford to finish the game on cruise control. Such luxuries will not be afforded them in Italy.