Fulham 0 Arsenal 4: Henry enjoys time and space travel

It was not supposed to be like this down by the riverside. Having gone into the game favoured by many to defeat Arsenal for the first time since the year George Cohen collected a World Cup winner's medal, Fulham were utterly overwhelmed, and their fine home record was shattered. With no protection from midfield, a vulnerable defence was taken apart by Thierry Henry, receiving excellent support from Fredrik Ljungberg.

Arsenal were supposed to be at risk away from the safe confines of Highbury, but given abundant space to play their football, they did so with glee, easing into fifth place in the table, between Tottenham and Blackburn, who meet this afternoon. For Fulham, a month that Chris Coleman described as possibly the most challenging of his managerial career - with Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea next - suddenly looks even more daunting and it is just as well that nine previous home victories have provided a cushion above the bottom six.

"They were the Arsenal of old," Coleman admitted. "We couldn't get anywhere near them. Thierry Henry's performance was one of the best I've ever seen. If they continue to produce that form, you've got to fancy them for the Champions' League."

Once again Arsène Wenger was denied the services of a clutch of defenders and midfielders but this time it did not matter. The revamped back four was rarely under any sort of pressure and Jens Lehmann made one authentic save.

The question worrying the visiting supporters at the Putney End had been which Arsenal would show up: the confident, free-flowing passers who had embarrassed Real Madrid, or the timid introverts physically overwhelmed by Bolton, Blackburn and the rest. They were reassured from the initial few minutes, when Tony Warner made the first of several good saves, thrusting out a hand to prevent Luis Boa Morte's errant back-header flying past him. Had Henry been sharper right from the off, he might have had a goal or two before the half-hour, but all was forgiven as he latched on to Abou Diaby's pass and shot high into the net from an angle.

Fulham had given away possession on that occasion, a panicky clearance by the former Arsenal full-back Moritz Volz going straight to Gilberto, and their defending continued to provide the visitors with the tonic they required. Fourminutes later there was a second goal and boos were heard from home supporters. It stemmed from a sweet passing move, Gilberto and Ljungberg combining to put the previously anonymous Emmanuel Adebayor in behind Volz for a neat finish.

Fulham were in such disarray at the back that the Togo international ought to have scored again 60 seconds later when played through by Alexander Hleb but shoot wide. It was easy to see how Coleman's men had conceded more than 40 goals this season, harder to work out how they had remained impregnable at home since Manchester United's visit in October.

There had been five other Arsenal chances before the goals, while Fulham achieved nothing going forward, even with two attacking wide midfield players in Tomasz Radzinski and Boa Morte, as well as Brian McBride and the recently prolific Heidar Helguson up the middle. Perhaps that was the problem.

As the warm sun went down over the Thames after half-time, Fulham briefly looked a little brighter, only to cast their supporters into deeper gloom with some more dozy defending. Three times Henry was sent into his favourite space down the left and cut inside to threaten a goal. On the first occasion, Warner managed to divert a curled shot for a corner; next, the Arsenal captain rolled a most inviting pass square for Adebayor who contrived to jab it wide as the goalkeeper lunged at him; then Henry supplied Hleb, who allowed Warner to block.

The introduction of Collins John for Helguson gave Fulham only brief respite as he drove a shot wide from McBride's flick. Soon Henry was in full flow again, feeding Adebayor, whose cross-shot was kicked away in some alarm by Warner. In the 77th minute the unlikely possibility of a revival was at last snuffed out completely as Henry scored his 22nd goal of the season from Ljungberg's pass. There was applause from all round the ground as he was substituted seven minutes from time.

Even without him, Arsenal were rampant, passing the helpless Volz again as Mathieu Flamini cut a cross back for substitute Cesc Fabregas to score the fourth. "Maybe we don't have the maturity yet to deal with a more British game," said Wenger. "But in a technical game we can do very, very well." Real Madrid, due at Highbury on Wednesday, know that to their cost.