Champions League: Arsenal 5 - 1 Shakhtar Donetsk: Perfect Day

A special moment at the Emirates. Pic via Guardian.

Arsenal 5: Song 19, Nasri 42, Fabregas 60 (pen), Wilshere 66, Chamakh 69

Shakhtar Donetsk 1: Eduardo 82

Most Gooners secretly or not-so-secretly wanted to see our former Brazilian-Croatian striker Eduardo score a goal on his return to the Emirates Stadium. Of course, since he plays for the other team, we all wanted it to happen while Arsenal was winning comfortably. Yesterday, therefore, could not possibly have been scripted any better. Meanwhile, the Gunners are now three points clear at the top of Group H.

Cesc Fabregas returned, a bit surprisingly, to the starting XI, from a hamstring injury he sustained while scoring a fluky goal at Sunderland a month ago. Tomas Rosicky also slipped into the starting side, meaning Abou Diaby and Andrei Arshavin dropped to the bench in the two changes to the side made since Saturday's win over Birmingham City. With Fabregas returning to the named side, Carlos Vela dropped out of the 18-man team and started for the Reserves (not impressively, I've heard.)

The early going was nervy and the Ukrainian champions had a little too much of the possession. I've heard it mentioned that ever since Arsenal failed to show up at home against West Brom, there has been an uncomfortable air of nervousness around the team until they finally get going.

Then, a gift. In the 19th minute, a Samir Nasri corner should have been handled comfortably by goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov, but, in a moment we would have called an "Arsenal audition" before Arsene Wenger decided not to buy a keeper anyway for some reason, Pyatov dropped the ball. Johan Djourou was there to kick it behind Pyatov, but not far enough sto score; Alex Song cleaned up the mess, picked up his second goal of the year across all competitions, and put the Gunners ahead 1-0. This was, of course, bad news for Shakhtar, a team that came to the Emirates content to steal a point and not more. Arsenal took a 2-0 lead into halftime thanks to a beautiful strike by Samir Nasri, firing home a cross from Alex Song from just outside the box.

Arsenal kept going in the second half and earned a penalty at the hour mark when Johan Djourou was preposterously wrestled to the ground in a headlock while waiting to receive a cross from a Nasri set piece. The fact that Adriano and Shakhtar protested the call and the booking was laughable. Fabregas pounded the penalty home and lifted up his shirt, revealing a happy birthday message to his mother. How sweet. Then, taking no chances with the captain's fitness, Arsene Wenger pulled Fabregas for Denilson. Just after, Eduardo was subbed on for Shakhtar.

Jack Wilshere got on the score sheet, playing his last match before starting to serve his three match domestic ban (oh, also, in the first half, he put in another fairly questionable tackle; get it together, Jack!), his first Arsenal goal since the 2008 Carling Cup and only the second in his career. Jack played a 1-2 with Tomas Rosicky and flicked a shot over the out rushing keeper to make it 4-0. Three minutes later, it was 5-0, when Chamakh was clear ahead of the Shakhtar defensive line while the entire bar thought he was offside. Chamakh actually paused when he received the pass, glanced over to see if the linesman's flag had gone up, then still had time to go clear in on goal.

At 5-0, Chamakh and Nasri were pulled for Arshavin and the return from injury of Theo Walcott, who had been left on the bench on Saturday. There was little left for Arsenal to prove, though it was good to see Walcott still has his pace. The match ended perfectly in the 82nd, with a brilliant half-volley shot into the corner by Eduardo, to make it 5-1. No Arsenal fan could ask for more and I don't think an away goal has ever received such a reception in North London.

Arsenal had a solid shout for a penalty in the 87th when Arshavin was shoved to the turf, but the referee held his whistle, though it would not have mattered. I think the best question is who would have taken the penalty anyway, with Fabregas and Nasri on the bench and Rosicky probably not taking penalties after missing at Sunderland. I think Arshavin is the obvious choice.

Of course, a question we can all choose to ignore is how the English media would portray Arsenal's comfortable win, and I leave you with this parting line from the Guardian's MBM: "The final whistle brings familiar confusion: were Arsenal brilliant or were there opponents deeply inept?"

Shut up, media.