Barnet brushed aside by Arsenal

Cole celebrates his goal against Barnet

Barnet 1-6 Arsenal

Arsenal gave 20 fully-fledged internationals a run-out as they thrashed Barnet at Underhill.

Barnet goalkeeper Lee Harrison saved the Conference side from a double-figure mauling with some fine reactions during a second-half assault from Arsenal.

Barnet had actually got the ball in the net after three minutes but Ben Strevens overhead kick was ruled out for a foul as Arsenal struggled to settle.

But in the 26th minute when Fredrik Ljungberg latched on to a loose ball and he swept past the static home defence before finishing with style.

The second came from Ashley Cole who burst through two defenders in the 34th minute to put the ball beyond goalkeeper Danny Naisbitt.

Dutchman Dennis Bergkamp got on the scoresheet in the 38th minute when he latched on to a good one-two with Ray Parlour to drill home with ease.

Consolation

Barnet's only goal of the game arrived in the 55th minute when Neil Midgley benefited from Mark Arber's flick and fired home beyond David Seaman.

Arsenal began the second half with Tony Adams, Bergkamp, and Kanu all shooting off target but just after the hour mark boss Arsene Wenger sent on eight substitutes and the moods changed.

Patrick Vieira fed Thierry Henry in the 68th minute and the former Juventus man made it 4-1 before Harrison made a fine save from Sylvain Wiltord in the 70th minute.

Soon after Harrison was picking the ball out the net beaten by Vieira's world-class finish.

Harrison found his hands stinging shortly after substitute Giovanni van Bronckhorst struck a superb volley that brought out yet another fine save as Harrison dived to his left.

Wiltord buried Arsenal's sixth goal in the 83rd minute, two minutes after Harrison had made yet another spectacular save from a Wiltord volley.