Arsenal sweep past PSV

Gilberto celebrates his first-minute goal

PSV Eindhoven 0-4 Arsenal

European glory for Gunners? Have your say

Gilberto Silva scored after only 21 seconds as Arsenal destroyed PSV with their stylish blend of attacking football.

Thierry Henry scored twice late in the game and Freddie Ljungberg also got on the scoresheet as the Gunners registered a rare away win in the Champions League.

Arsenal lost five and drew one away from home in last season's competition and had not won away from Highbury in the Champions League since they defeated Lyon 1-0 in February 2001.

Photo gallery: PSV v Arsenal

But the Gunners are hoping to make a real impression on this season's competition and the manner of their victory in Eindhoven suggests they are fully capable of doing so.

  Key moments

1 min: Gilberto scores

24 mins: Seaman saves from Kezman

66 mins: Ljungberg scores for Arsenal

81 mins: Henry scores

90 mins: Henry scores again

PSV had several opportunities to equalise after conceding in the first minute, but Mateja Kezman could not capitalise on three decent opportunities.

The game had barely started when Gilberto scored the quickest ever Champions League goal.

The Gunners attacked straight from the kick-off and Gilberto, totally unmarked after bursting through from midfield, slotted home Henry's cross.

The goal beats Alessandro del Piero's strike against Manchester United in 1997, which was the previous fastest.

PSV should have restored parity with just five minutes gone but Mateja Kezman headed wide after connecting with Dennis Rommedahl's teasing cross.

The home team also put the ball in the net twice in the opening minutes but handball and off-side saw both goals disallowed.

The frenetic opening continued after eight minutes when Martin Keown was stretchered off with a hamstring injury and replaced by Pascal Cygan, who had a solid game alongside Sol Cambell.

I'm very impressed by my team

Arsene Wenger

PSV - stung by the early goal - continued to push forward and wasted another excellent chance to equalise midway through the first half.

Kezman - having been played on-side by Lauren - only had David Seaman to beat, but the England goalkeeper saved with his legs to deny the PSV striker.

Shortly before the break Kezman got in front of Campbell and did superbly to reach Kasper Bogelund's cross with a glancing header, but he steered the ball wide of Seaman's goal.

Both teams began the second half poorly, regularly misplacing simple passes, but Arsenal opened up the PSV defence after 50 minutes.

Bergkamp played his first European away tie for two years

Sylvain Wiltord was left with only Ronald Waterreus to beat but the PSV keeper saved with his legs.

Henry forced another save from Waterreus with a shot from a tight angle when passing to Dennis Bergkamp would have been a better option.

But Arsenal took the game beyond PSV's reach after 66 minutes.

Ljungberg ran across the PSV defence to latch on to Lauren's through ball before slotting home from a tight angle.

Gilberto shot wide shortly afterwards and Bergkamp - playing his first away European game since the 2000 Uefa Cup final - almost increased his team's lead.

But it was Henry who scored Arsenal's third, latching on to substitute Kanu's through ball before slipping past Waterreus.

And in injury time Wiltord played Henry through for the Arsenal striker to score his second of the game.

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PSV: Waterreus, Ooijer, Hofland (Vennegoor of Hesselink 46), Heintze (Lucius 61), Van Bommel, Kezman, Bruggink, Vogel (Leandro 27), Rommedahl, Bouma, Bogelund.
Subs Not Used: Ten Rouwelaar, Faber, Robben, Van der Schaaf.

Booked: Ooijer.

Arsenal: Seaman, Cole, Lauren, Campbell, Keown (Cygan 9), Vieira, Silva, Ljungberg (Toure 85), Wiltord, Bergkamp (Kanu 79), Henry.
Subs Not Used: Shaaban, Jeffers, Pennant, Luzhny.

Booked: Lauren.

Attendance: 24,000

Referee: L Michel (Slovakia).