Soccer: Magical night in Milan

Inter Milan 1 Arsenal 5

Against an Inter defence that hadn't conceded a Serie A goal in over 400 minutes?

The fallout is the key for Arsenal victory over Locomotiv Moscow in their final Group B game will ensure a quarter final spot but the clinical nature of the performance, and the devastating precision of Thierry Henry sends out their own signals.

Inter fans who piled bile on Henry all night stood to applaud the French artist when he made way in the final minutes for Jeremie Alliadiere.

Astonishingly, for periods of the second half, Wenger was sweating as his side betrayed the nerves that the occasion understandably engendered.

Moments after Freddie Ljungberg had restored the visitors' lead in the 48th minute, Henry had the chance to put daylight between the sides, but inexplicably he tried to find the in-rushing Edu when the moment cried out for a finish.

Wenger slapped his side in frustration, but it was the only hesitation shown by the sublime Henry all night.

Indeed the conviction shown as he torched Javier Zanetti on the left flank to torpedo home Arsenal's crucial third in the 84th minute said everything about the man who has gone from winger to wonder.

The defeat leaves Inter in an incredibly perilous position.

They must go to Kiev in two weeks and win to ensure one of the top two spots.

Inter's bashing of Arsenal in September was not forgotten by the Gunners that was manifestly evident in the way they celebrated Pires' fifth in the 90th minute, when players, subs and officials all joined in a sideline jig.

Inter coach Alberto Zaccheroni clearly felt that Nigerian Ofembi Martins had caused sufficient mayhem at Highbury to join Christian Vieiri up front in the absence of the injured Alvaro Recoba.

In the initial jousts his decision offered hope and the speedster drifted between Cole and Cygan to win frees in dangerous positions. Both chances were spurred by Materazzi without calling Jens Lehmann to account.

Then on 25 minutes, Arsenal's first incisive thrust created the opening goal it was telling that Ashley Cole, who enjoyed attacking freedom with Zanetti's tendency to go awol, was centrally involved.

Pires found the left back in such an advanced position that his lay back to Henry was still inside the Inter box. The French man finished with scalpel precision.

Wenger admitted beforehand that to blame bad luck for Arsenal's European ills was ridiculous, but he must have suspected bad karma when Inter equalised via an outrageous deflection in the 33rd minute.

The problem originated with a loose ball in midfield from Edu, allowing Cristiano Zanetti to place Vieiri on the left edge of the box. His drive ricocheted off Campbell and looped over Lehmann.

To their credit, the Gunners stabilised matters before half time, but the timing of their second was crucial in reclaiming the impetus. Again Henry was given latitude on the left by Inter's three-man defence, and he beat the defender Cordoba to find Ljungberg who finished from five yards.

Now we would see the real Inter. So we thought. And maybe we did. Coach Zaccheroni was sufficiently bothered to effect wholesale changes, introducing the creative Almeyda and Pasquale to midfield and pushing another striker, Cruz, up top to the exclusion of winger, Andy Van Der Meyde.

Still nothing in the creative department, though.

Cygan fouled Martins on the edge of the area, giving Inter an opportunity to build up a momentum, but it passed without any strife for Arsenal.

Indeed, the visitors still looked the likelier side to score, with Edu and Parlour providing reliable cover for the back four, who snuffed out the increasingly thoughtless Inter forays.

Henry again ripped the cover on the Inter right, but his blistering centre went untouched. If Inter sensed impending doom on that flank, they did little to counter it.

By the 76th minute, Henry was unleashing torment on the Inter defence at will. Aanother left-sided raid ended with the French man's shot beaten around a post by Toldo.

The Arsenal fans at that end would not have to wait long. Six minutes in fact. Henry appeared to delay a fraction as Pires made the run, but he had better ideas, and the finish was with his weaker left foot to boot.

Game over? Henry certainly thought so as he lingered on the touch-line waiting to be substituted. However when Ashley Cole found him with a cross-field ball, he made tracks for Toldo again. His centre was inches too far for Ljungberg, but Edu, who grows in self-belief with each game, was there to apply the finish.

Perhaps even Wenger felt his luck was turning when sub Aliadiere, just on the field, battled for and won possession in the right corner. He found Pires to apply the coup de grace.

Though he did not get on the score-sheet, Arsenal's Nigerian Kanu, merits a silver star. The languid forward has undergone a startling change of form this season, leading the cynical to suspect that it is related to a contract renewal.

Notwithstanding that, he ensured that the absence of another ex-Inter man, Dennis Bergkamp, was not as keenly felt as it might have been.

What will please Wenger even more is the list of absentees last night alongside the Dutch man, Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord and Lauren were all unable to travel because of injury. The Arsenal manager may have a job convincing the Highbury board that his squad is threadbare!

INTER MILAN (3-5-2): Toldo, Cordoba, Materazzi, Cannavaro (Pasquale, 59); J. Zanetti, Brechet, C. Zanetti, Lamouchi (Almeyda, 56), Van Der Meyde (Cruz, 68); Vieiri, Martins.

ARSENAL (4-4-2): Lehmann, Toure, Campbell, Cygan, Cole; Pires, Edu, Parlour, Ljungberg; Henry (Aliadiere, 89), Kanu (Gilberto, 72).

Referee: W. Stark (Germany)