Effortless Henry exposes Leeds' poverty

Leeds United 1 Arsenal 4

One way and another, the canvas depicting the "beautiful game" has been crudely defaced this week by the deeds of ill-disciplined players, duly punished, and the words of warring managers, generously reported.

Arsenal have been as culpable as anyone, of course, particularly as regards the former, but here yesterday their footballers brought considerable reparation to the game's image with a sublime exhibition of counter-attacking play. Crucially, for their manager Arsène Wenger, as well as maintaining his team at the head of the Premiership, it was a performance that did not exact too much from his men ahead of Wednesday's crucial Champions' League contest with Dynamo Kiev.

Thierry Henry began the destruction, scored two goals, and would have celebrated a hat-trick had his team-mate Ray Parlour not unwittingly blocked a goal-bound effort in the closing minutes. And this, as Wenger put it, in a contest in which Henry "played at a pace where he didn't have to dig too deep. He just waited for the chance to go forward".

Leeds, as impoverished on the pitch as they are off it, resembled, for the most part, a team chasing ghosts. And this, remember, was the club that only two seasons ago reached the semi-finals of the Champions' League. This week, pre-tax losses of nearly £50m were announced, on top of debts of £78m. Approaching £6m of that went into the bank accounts of David O'Leary and Terry Venables as pay-offs following their departures.

What Peter Reid will receive if he escapes this club from hell with his sanity intact, we await with interest, although the chairman, John McKenzie, has suggested that he will be a wealthy man from bonuses should Leeds finish tenth or above. On recent evidence, that at least is one potential saving Leeds are likely to make.

Yesterday's defeat - following those by Liverpool and Manchester United - was the culmination of a trilogy of fixtures which it was said mischievously the club did not want to foist on a new manager when Reid's tenure was under discussion early last month. It is the next three games - Portsmouth away, Bolton at home and Charlton away - which reports suggest will ultimately decide Reid's future, with the incoming chief executive Trevor Birch ordered by the board to dismiss him if Leeds do not win at least two of them. Reid treated the rumours with typical insouciance. "It's a hard job, but I love working here. I like a scrap," he said. "There's no way I'll walk away."

His task was not aided by the absence of Mark Viduka, who Reid admitted had been left out of the squad for "disciplinary reasons", apparently a reference to the Australian striker being late both for training and yesterday's game.

If the Gunners have a flaw, it is an over-dependence on Henry for goals; the Frenchman now boasts 11 in all competitions. Mind you, their hosts no doubt wish they enjoyed a similar problem. Leeds' top scorer is Alan Smith, with four after yesterday.

Leeds, clearly determined not to allow the the League leaders to settle into their imposing rhythm, attacked from the start, with Jermaine Pennant a threat down the right. Pennant, of course, was in the curious position of facing his own team, as he is currently on loan at Leeds. Yet it was that ambition which contributed to Leeds' downfall as they allowed the visitors to pull two goals ahead with classic movement on the break. Eight minutes had passed when Pennant's pal, Ashley Cole, dispatched a penetrating ball down the left which left Leedssquare. Henry cruised past Zoumana Camara andsteered the ball past Paul Robinson.

Nine minutes later, Arsenal caught the Yorkshire side again, and this time it was Freddie Ljungberg who made progress down the right. His cross drifted across goal, the ball probably intended for Gilberto Silva or Henry. They couldn't get a touch, and neither could any of the Leeds defenders, but Robert Pires had made ground on the blind side of them all to apply the finishing touch.

Just after the half hour, Leeds were penetrated by more of the same. Ray Parlour found Dennis Bergkamp, who stabbed the ball against the post, but Henry, inevitably, followed up to score with a venomous shot. "You know he's either going to play a killer pass, shoot at goal, or go past your defenders," reflected Reid. "The only thing you can try and do is stay close to him." And Leeds just couldn't.

James Milner replaced Michael Bridges after the interval and he was soon joined by another youngster, the 16-year-old Aaron Lennon. Both contributed to an improved Leeds performance, but there was no way back once the visitors had added a fourth five minutes into the second half when Pires turned the ball into a crowded goalmouth, Leeds failed to clear, and the Brazilian Gilberto pounced.

Leeds persevered and just after the hour, Smith diverted Lennon's cross past Jens Lehmann. It enlivened the crowd and lifted the players, too, but it was Arsenal who should have added to their tally, only for Henry's attempt to hit the unfortunate Parlour before Jeremie Aliadiere, on for Bergkamp, headed over from a promising position.

But by then it was irrelevant. Arsenal were simply different class, and probably just as importantly in this of all weeks, top of it for behaviour.

Leeds United 1
Smith 64

Arsenal 4
Henry 8, 33, Pires 17, Silva 50

Half-time: 0-3 Attendance: 36,491