Gunners send Wolves packing

Arsenal 5 Wolves 1

French starlet Jeremie Aliadiere scored twice to send Arsenal charging into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup at Highbury tonight.

The 20-year-old forward showed his predatory instincts to claim the first in the 24th minute but he saved the best for the second half, beating two Wolves defenders before finding the back of the net with a blistering drive.

Aliadiere’s goals sandwiched a second from Kanu with the Nigerian mesmerising and frustrating in equal measure – he was was full of tricks all night but was culpable of a glaring miss early on.

Sylvain Wiltord and Cesc Fabregas completed the rout for Arsene Wenger’s youth-packed side – seven of tonight’s starting line-up numbered only 13 first-team appearances between them – with Fabregas becoming the Gunners’ youngest ever goalscorer.

And there was more good news for Arsenal fans following a fine display from skipper Patrick Vieira who made his first start in over two months after overcoming the thigh injury he picked up against Newcastle on September 26.

He lasted the whole 90 minutes – Wenger only hoped to get an hour out of his captain – and proved a colossus in the Gunners’ midfield as he bossed the match from start to finish.

But it was a sorry display from Wolves who despite fielding eight of the team that drew 1-1 with Newcastle on the weekend, looked toothless in attack and hardly had a sniff, save for Alex Rae’s late consolation.

The visitors made a bright start though with Kenny Miller winning a free-kick little over a minute into the match but Joey Gudjonsson’s set-piece found the arms of Graham Stack in the Arsenal goal.

The Gunners should have taken the lead shortly after, however, when Justin Hoyte’s cross found an unmarked Kanu some six yards out but amazingly he nudged his shot wide with only keeper Andy Marshall to beat.

But the Nigerian striker nearly made amends in the eighth minute when he weaved past three Wolves players in the tightest of spaces before firing his shot at the post from what appeared an impossible angle.

Arsenal were in full control with David Bentley proving a real handful down the left and Vieira bossing the midfield as Wolves battled to cope with the speed of their opponents’ attacks.

Wiltord teed up Kanu only for the rangy marksman to dither too long before shooting and he was shoved off the ball, but Arsenal could not be denied the lead they so richly deserved in the 24th minute.

Defender Lee Naylor made the initial error when his back pass was intercepted by the lurking Aliadiere who stroked his shot past the hapless Wolves keeper for his second goal of the season.

Bentley fired a free-kick inches over the crossbar while at the other end Paul Ince forced Stack into a magnificent save as Wolves finally began to threaten with some promising raids late in the half.

Kanu dazzled moments after the restart with another weaving run but he took the final shot himself when Aliadiere was in a better position to his right, ending a glorious chance to kill off the game.

Aliadiere played in Wiltord in the 50th minute but his effort well saved by Marshall as Arsenal continued to threaten, although they were held up when Hoyte was forced off with what appeared to be a painful-looking ankle injury.

Kanu and Aliadiere went close as outgunned Wolves found themselves being squeezed out again with Vieira dominating the centre of the field, pushing opponents off the ball almost at will.

Arsenal’s second seemed inevitable and it arrived in the 67th minute when Wiltord burst clear down the right after being fed by substitute Olafur-Ingi Skulason and the Frenchman fired his cross into Kanu who converted from close range.

But Aliadiere went one better three minutes later when he turned Wolves’ defence inside-out before concluding his mesmerising 20-yard run with a powerful drive which gave Marshall no chance.

Wiltord added a fourth following a defence-splitting pass from Vieira but Rae pulled one back for Wolves with a stunning drive, although there was still time for Fabregas to complete the rout with a simple tap-in two minutes from time.