Arsenal ease through

West Brom 0 Arsenal 2

Jeremie Aliadiere provided Arsene Wenger with a timely reminder of his talent to ease Arsenal into the Carling Cup fourth round.

The 23-year-old has failed to live up to his potential since arriving in north London as a raw teenager and after spending last season out on loan the talk is of a permanent move away from the Emirates Stadium in the near future.

Aliadiere stole the show on a night when Theo Walcott sparkled intermittently on his second Arsenal start and Denilson proved why Wenger was prepared to spend £3.4million to bring him to England from Sao Paulo, even though he has yet to reach his 19th birthday.

Fourteen appearances for Wolves as part of his ‘gap year’ had already earmarked him as a potential public enemy number one among the West Brom faithful even before he went down under Steve Watson’s challenge, then got to his feet to put Arsenal in front from the spot.

He then showed another dimension to his clinical side, driving home Walcott’s cross at the start of the second period to ensure the Gunners advanced into the last 16 with plenty to spare and give West Brom boss Tony Mowbray plenty of food for thought as he tries to plot a promotion campaign.

Although Wenger’s principle of fielding teams packed with youngsters in this competition is well established, such is the Arsenal manager’s dedication to fast, flowing football, the absence of stars such as Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas hardly affects the entertainment value.

At various points, Arsenal put together moves of a dozen passes or more, leaving a West Brom outfit second in the Championship and packed with Premiership experience, spinning like tops.

One particular manoeuvre ended with Walcott blasting a cross into Paul Robinson’s legs, a bit like his World Cup experience, not something the teenager will look back on with any great fondness.

The teenager was clearly keen to make the most of his opportunity and his pace alone marked him out as a major threat.

One burst sent him roaring past Robinson and Darren Carter, while a goalbound shot flicked wide off Paul McShane.

That effort was almost a direct response to Nathan Ellington’s long-range strike, which threatened to put West Brom in front until Manuel Almunia flung himself to the left and tipped it away.

It proved to be the best chance the hosts would have before Aliadiere put Arsenal in front.

The Frenchman earned the ire of West Brom’s disgruntled fans for the ease with which he went down under minimal contact from Watson.

Yet there was no quibble over the quality of his finish, the spot-kick nestling right in the corner, offering Russell Hoult no chance of making the save.

He should have had a second goal not long afterwards when substitute Armand Traore teed him up but this time, Aliadiere fired straight at Hoult.

Arsenal’s counter-attacking was a joy to watch and if Aliadiere had spotted Walcott’s blind-side burst instead of racing into a posse of defenders, the visitors would have doubled their lead right at the start of the second half.

Instead, they were forced to wait precisely four minutes for Walcott, who had just been fouled by Paul Robinson, to get to his feet and drive a free-kick straight to Aliadiere, who turned home a first-time shot.

Walcott might have stamped his own mark on the contest in the final minute, embarking on an electric 40-yard burst before cutting a shot towards the far corner which was heading in until Hoult, at full stretch, touched it away.

If there is any consolation for Mowbray, his are not the first side to be dismantled in such a fashion by ostensibly Arsenal’s reserve team. And with Denilson and Walcott still some way off becoming regulars at senior level, the chances are they will not be the last.