Arsenal coast past Porto

Goals either side of the break by skipper Thierry Henry and Alexander Hleb kept Arsene Wenger's side top of Group G as they eased past a disappointing Portuguese outfit.

The Gunners thought they had taken the lead after four minutes when Kolo Toure slotted the ball into the net but the assistant referee ruled that Henry's header went out of play before Cesc Febregas dragged it back to the Ivorian defender.

Van Persie, who forced Helton to make a good save early on, then squandered the best chance of the game, firing over the crossbar from 14 yards on the half hour.

But eight minutes later the deadlock was broken when a superb cross from the right by Emmanuel Eboue was headed back from where it came by Henry who found the left corner of the net with aplomb.

It was a second headed goal in the space of four days at The Emirates Stadium from the skipper and the game was virtually all over as a contest three minutes after the break.

William Gallas showed great adventure to surge forward and he passed to Henry who nudged the ball to his right to Hleb.

The former Stuttgart man then crashes a diagonal shot into the right corner of the net for his first Champions League goal in a Gunners shirt.

The hosts were in cruise control from then on and Tomas Rosicky should have added to the lead when he was found in acres of space in the penalty area from a corner but the Czech fired his shot miles over the top.

Jens Lehmann fumbled a Ricardo Quaresma effort late on only to grab it at the second attempt but was rarely troubled and the only sour point for the hosts was a late thigh injury to Gallas.