Aston Villa - 1 Arsenal - 3: First impressions were familiar enough. Arsenal were back in the old routine, the zest that once captured a title propelling them beyond Aston Villa's also-rans with sumptuous ease. Yet, amid the Birmingham drizzle, a new initiative stirred; for Arsene Wenger, this was about kick-starting a perfect future.

In the wake of last week's defeat to Manchester United, after which Wenger conceded the title, came Saturday's inevitable backlash, a blitz to singe the hosts if not rekindle hope that Chelsea can be reeled back in.

Villa quaked in the face of the stampede but they should not have been caught unawares. The last time Arsenal surrendered the Premiership, against Leeds in 2003, they responded with a 6-1 massacre of Southampton and embarked on their 49-match unbeaten league run. Failure clearly galvanises them. Philippe Senderos, a 19-year-old Swiss centre-half, excelled here on only his second league start.

If United provided that shock last week, Villa merely offered obliging acceptance of the inevitable. Arsenal scored twice, missed two open goals, struck a post and forced Thomas Sorensen to save desperately in the opening 14 minutes. Freddie Ljungberg, charging on to Edu's pass, clipped in the first before Thierry Henry atoned for a baffling earlier miss to convert Patrick Vieira's slide-rule pass.

It was breathless stuff, stunning in its simplicity and humiliating for Villa to endure, though it was bettered. Nothing illustrates the majesty of which Arsenal are still capable more stunningly than their third. Henry, facing the dug-outs on the halfway line, spun away from Jlloyd Samuel and Olof Mellberg and eased a crossfield pass to Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutchman hooked on first time for the on-rushing Ashley Cole, clad all in blue, who battered a blistering volley across Sorensen and into the far corner.

Villa's form may be more forthcoming in the run-in though the hosts' consolation here, neatly taken by Juan Pablo Angel, came when Arsenal had lost interest.