THE IRREPLACEABLE Thierry Henry was almost apologetic as he gave every member of the opposition a conciliatory hand-shake after his hat-trick, plus another four goals from his team-mates, condemned a youthful Middlesbrough side to their worst defeat in more than half a century.
If there has ever been a case for men against boys this was it, in every sense of the old adage, on a day of breaking records in north London.
As well as Henry equalling Cliff Bastin's 150 league goals haul for the Gunners, who also recorded their highest Premiership win, the feat achieved by Boro was something less worth cheering about.
A 7-0 deficit at the final whistle can be described as embarrassing, humiliating and shocking.
And now, unfairly, the young crop fielded by manager Steve McClaren that succumbed to the club's heaviest Premiership defeat will be forever remembered for the part they played in succumbing to such a catastrophic loss.
It is true that by the end of proceedings Boro had six teenagers on show against highly-skilled internationals, but it was the way the more experienced heads played that should be more worrying.
Mark Viduka, Doriva, Gaizka Mendieta and the lackadaisical Fabio Rochemback have all played for years at the very top. And on the occasion lesser known names such as Andrew Taylor and Matthew Bates needed to be supported by the elder-statesmen but, they went missing.
"Coming here with our strongest team would have been difficult. But with ten men and six teenagers in the side meant that everything went against us," said McClaren.
In fact the damage had already been inflicted well before Boro had used six teenagers and had suffered Doriva's sending off. The score stood at 6-0 when Lee Cattermole, David Wheater and Adam Johnson had been introduced.
Just one more goal, the final insult from Belarusian Alexander Hleb, arrived after McClaren's men had been reduced to ten.
Nevertheless, the truth is Boro did field an extremely youthful defence. Left-back Taylor was making his first team debut, while centre-back Bates has only had a handful of opportunities and most of those have been out of position on the right.
But it is the way the midfield, where Darlington-born James Morrison offered the only sort of tenacity that the back four behind them required, and the front two went missing that caused so many problems.
Questions have got to be asked why former England centre-back Ugo Ehiogu is being allowed to move when there are only inexperienced teenagers left to fill the void.
McClaren knows he is in an unfortunate position because he has been told there is going to be no money available for reimbursements this month, despite injuries to key players such as Gareth Southgate, George Boateng and Franck Queudrue.
The return to fitness of Stewart Downing is sure to help Boro's cause after they dropped to fourth bottom after yesterday's win for West Brom. But to expect miracles from a 21-year-old, who has been sidelined for five months, is a heavy burden to rest on a young man's shoulders.
There is no doubting the future of Boro, whose Academy is second to none, is bright. But a defeat to the extent of Saturday's mauling could have done more harm than good.
McClaren, though, feels they all possess the right character to succeed. "Those out there are the future of Middlesbrough," he said. "The experience they gained out there will make them better players."
The match-day programme had the nerve to look back on another one of Boro's darkest days when they were soundly beaten by the Gunners 8-0 in 1935. This time around may not have been that bad but it could have been far worse.
Even before Henry had opened the scoring with a cushioned volley at the back post after 20 minutes, Boro could have been four down.
Freddie Ljungberg, who tormented 19-year-old Taylor throughout, was denied by Jones; Henry curled a free-kick that shaved the woodwork; Jose Antonio Reyes fired marginally wide after Bates' weak header; and Henry headed wide from Reyes' centre.
But, after Henry had given the home side the lead, there was no going back for Arsenal and no going forward for Boro in one of the most one-sided games the Premiership has witnessed.
Defender Phillipe Senderos made the most of slack defending to head in number two from Reyes' corner; Henry added his second by finishing with ease past Jones after being sent clear by Reyes; and Robert Pires' exceptional curler secured a 4-0 advantage at the break.
After the restart Arsenal's incessant pressure only stopped when Chris Riggott hit the crossbar and Aiyegbeni Yakubu's rebound was saved.
Henry had somehow turned a Ljungberg cross over from close range before the Frenchman turned provider to deliver the free-kick that was met by Gilberto Silva's downward header that Jones could only turn into his own net.
Then, seconds before Cattermole and Johnson were introduced, Henry outpaced Wheater to strike beyond Jones after another exceptional Reyes pass .
Hleb's first goal for Arsenal, when the ball fell to him unmarked at the back post after Reyes' shot was blocked, completed the rout and inflict Boro's worst result since losing 9-0 at Blackburn in November, 1954.
Having now conceded 32 goals in their last ten league appearances against Wenger's men, McClaren will be glad to see the back of Highbury when Arsenal make the short switch to their new stadium in the summer.
Surely, with age on this particular crop's side, a repeat showing just a few hundred yards away from the famous old ground will not be repeated - or at least that's what they will be hoping.
Result: Arsenal 7, Middlesbrough 0.
Read more about Middlesbrough here.
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