Youngest guns still too classy for United

Arsenal 2 (Bendtner 83 Denilson 89), Newcastle 0, Attendance: 60,400:  For those who envisaged a closing of the gap between …

Arsenal 2 (Bendtner 83 Denilson 89), Newcastle 0, Attendance: 60,400: For those who envisaged a closing of the gap between the haves and have-nots of English football this season, this was a chastening experience.

An Arsenal team made up almost entirely of reserves completely outclassed a strong Newcastle side last night, finally sealing victory with late goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Denilson, their first for the club.

Arsenal submitted Sam Allardyce's side to death by silk, passing them to bits in a performance of increasing majesty.

There was a superiority complex in the air, and justly so given Arsenal's fusion of style and substance this season, though early on there was a presumptuousness to their work.

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Newcastle, inevitably, were much more rigid, moulded into an exact 4-5-1 formation, with Shola Ameobi on the left and Obafemi Martins alone up front. If their main purpose was to coagulate Arsenal's attacks, the explosiveness of Martins brought occasional respite. He had the first significant chance of the game, when his thumping header from Jose Enrique's cross was pawed away by the debutant goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Martins had another chance later in the half, spanking over on the turn from 12 yards after beating Philippe Senderos to James Milner's insightful chip, but by then Arsenal had assumed a degree of control and were creating a steady stream of chances. Nicklas Bendtner headed over Armand Traore's cross from six yards; Eduardo, stretching, bundled Emmanuel Eboue's deflected cross into the side-netting; then Eboue's 20-yard daisy-cutter forced a rudimentary diving save from Shay Given.

Arsenal tore into Newcastle straight after the break, creating six decent chances in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Most came through Eboue, who remained Arsenal's most incisive attacker on his return from injury.

Bendtner finally gave Arsenal the lead with a splendid goal. Traore pitter-pattered down the left before coaxing in a superb cross and Bendtner rose imperiously to head across Given and into the net.

Newcastle should have equalised straight after, when Martins went round Fabianski but scuffed his shot sufficiently for Senderos to get back and clear off the line. They were buried in the final minute, however, when Denilson, on the left of the box, slashed a glorious shot across Given and high into the net.

ARSENAL: Fabianski, Justin Hoyte, Eboue (Diaby 64), Senderos, Traore, Diarra, Denilson, Song Billong, Walcott, Bendtner, Eduardo (Perez 90). Subs not used: Mannone, Lansbury, Gavin Hoyte.

NEWCASTLE: Given, Beye, Taylor, Rozehnal, Jose Enrique, Milner (Butt 70), Smith, Faye, N'Zogbia, Ameobi (Emre 60), Martins. Subs not used: Forster, Geremi, Edgar.

Referee: Howard Webb (S Yorkshire)