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  • Kick-off: 20:00
  • Venue: Highbury
  • Attendance: 38073
  • Referee: Wiley, A

Live Commentary

90mins

The referee puts Everton out of their misery as he blows the final whistle.

84mins

Mathieu Flamini makes it an amazing 7-0 to Arsenal as he latches onto Jose Antonio Reyes' pass to slot home from 18 yards.

80mins

Good volley on the turn from Duncan Ferguson which Jens Lehmann does well to parry.

78mins

Sol Campbell is booked for a foul on Duncan Ferguson.

77mins

The outstanding Dennis Bergkamp gets on the scoresheet as he brings down a Jose Antonio Reyes header to slot home at the near post.

74mins

Mikel Amatriain Arteta is replaced by Duncan Ferguson.

69mins

Eduardo Cesar Edu steps up to slam home a powerful strike from the spot.

68mins

A Lee Carsley hand-ball in the box gifts Arsenal a penalty and a chance to make it five.

66mins

Very good chance for Thierry Henry six yards out but Richard Wright does well to make the save.

64mins

Eduardo Cesar Edu fires one wide from 30 yards.

63mins

Cesc Fabregas comes on for Robert Pires.

55mins

Mathieu Flamini is booked for a foul on Alessandro Pistone.

53mins

Another cracking shot from the impressive Dennis Bergkamp curled just over the bar.

50mins

Thierry Henry has a shot from outside the box but it's deflected to Robert Pires who slots home rather fortunately with his left foot.

48mins

James Beattie is replaced by Marcus Bent.

47mins

Double substitution for Arsenal. Thierry Henry comes on for Robin Van Persie while Mathieu Flamini replaces Patrick Vieira.

46mins

The referee gets the second half underway with everton looking for a way back into the game.

45mins

The half-time whistle goes with Arsenal looking good for the win at the break.

44mins

James Beattie fires a shot over the bar from 20 yards out.

40mins

Richard Wright does well to parry a Robin Van Persie free-kick and then does even better to stop the follow-up strike from Jose Antonio Reyes.

36mins

Another terrific goal as Dennis Bergkamp lifts the ball over the Everton defence for Patrick Vieira to run onto and chip over the keeper.

30mins

Patrick Vieira drills a shot wide of the post from 30 yards.

28mins

Good strike from Robin Van Persie 25 yards out but it's saved well by Richard Wright.

26mins

Robert Pires corner drops to Dennis Bergkamp who hammers in a volley which is blocked rather fortunately by David Weir.

25mins

Well-struck shot from Mikel Amatriain Arteta blocked by Philippe Senderos.

24mins

Decent cross from Kevin Kilbane but it's picked out well by Jens Lehmann.

22mins

Robin Van Persie drills a shot just wide of the left-hand post from 20 yards out.

18mins

Excellent run from Patrick Vieira after good work from Jose Antonio Reyes but the Arsenal skipper is caught offside.

14mins

James Beattie drills a shot from 18 yards but Jens Lehmann is onto it quickly.

11mins

Robert Pires curls in a good shot which Richard Wright can only parry. The ball drops again to Pires and he loops a header over the keeper into the back of the net.

8mins

Slide-rule pass from Dennis Bergkamp puts Robin Van Persie in for the youngster to confidently curl a low shot past Richard Wright.

5mins

Robert Pires swings in a corner but it's caught by Richard Wright.

4mins

Dennis Bergkamp curls a shot just wide of the post from 20 yards.

2mins

Chance for Mikel Amatriain Arteta but he doesn't catch his shot well enough and Jens Lehmann saves.

0mins

The referee gets this evening's match underway at Highbury.

Match Report

Dennis Bergkamp, playing for a new contract, tore Everton apart as Arsenal inflicted seven-goal mayhem on their potential Champions League rivals.

Bergkamp, 36, created all three first-half goals as the second-placed Gunners effectively finished the game off by the 37th minute.

So many Arsenal players were clearly playing for FA Cup final places. The urgency of their performance proved that. And if this was Bergkamp's last game at Highbury, he could not have gone out on a higher note.

Everton were among the favourites for relegation after Arsenal won 4-1 at Goodison in their opening game of the season. Instead, David Moyes' team have earned a Champions League preliminary place, despite losing Wayne Rooney to Manchester United, Tomasz Radzinski to Fulham and Thomas Gravesen to Real Madrid.

Arsene Wenger said Moyes, his staff and players had worked a miracle.

But Bergkamp-inspired Arsenal swept them aside. The Gunners were ahead by the eighth minute when Bergkamp and Dutch youngster Robin Van Persie combined for a picture goal. Bergkamp threaded through a brilliant pass, Van Persie timed his run to perfection and fired a typical left-foot finish past ex-Gunners keeper Richard Wright.

Bergkamp split Everton open for Arsenal's second. Jose Antonio Reyes crossed low. Wright beat out Robert Pires' shot, but the Frenchman looped a clever header over the keeper.

Everton were full of exertion, as usual, but they have lacked penetration all season, especially when Tim Cahill is injured. James Beattie was their only attacker to test Jens Lehmann.

Alessandro Pistone's last-ditch tackle robbed Reyes after Edu's pass climaxed a rapid counter attack. David Weir blocked Bergkamp's shot from the corner.

Wright saved low as Van Persie after a sweeping break by Bergkamp and Vieira.

Vieira blasted wide as Edu's dummy fooled the Everton defence.

Vieira scored the inevitable third. Bergkamp's delicate flick shredded the Everton defence. The Arsenal skipper ran on and dinked his shot over Wright.

The Everton keeper made fine saves from Reyes and Van Persie as half-time approached.

Bergkamp split the Everton defence again in the 48th minute. Sub Thierry Henry went down under Joseph Yobo's challenge. Everton were lucky to escape a penalty.

Two minutes later, Henry nicked a pass off Lee Carsley and Pires nipped in to stroke the fourth.

Bergkamp's vision set up another chance for Henry who just failed to connect. Wright palmed away another Reyes effort, then saved Everton again as Henry bore down. When Henry's shot bounced off Carsley's arm, referee Wiley pointed to the spot. Edu smacked in the kick.

And when Bergkamp charged down Weir's 77th-minute clearance to shoot beyond Wright, the Gunners' fans went wild.

Mathieu Flamini stabbed in the seventh after Reyes' cut back from Henry's thrilling burst. This was Arsenal's biggest-ever Premiership victory.

But the good news for Wenger extended far beyond the scoreline. Henry, out for five games with groin trouble, looked as fresh as ever. Sol Campbell came through successfully after a long-term ankle problem. Edu impressed.

Hip victim Freddie Ljungberg should be fit to face Birmingham on Sunday. So will Gilberto Silva, who missed this game with an ankle knock.

Arsenal

Everton

Corners

42

Fouls

912

Goal attempts

207

Shots off target

74

Offsides

32

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