It wasn't a contest, it was an exhibition, a performance of moving art that bemused, baffled and bewildered Charlton. Arsenal put together moves of 10, even 15 ground passes, and there were moments when Thierry Henry brought the game to a standstill, shimmied his hips and sent one or more Charlton players off into another orbit.
You would need to be blind beyond reason not to relish the talent on display here, although you needed far more than two hands to count the goals that were missed. With Cesc Fabregas shaping the momentum, and with Henry peppering the attacks with inspiration, Arsenal's football was irresistible.
Aleksandr Hleb, rising by the minute in confidence, was not far behind young Fabregas in fashioning the passes and making the urgent forward runs into the beleaguered Charlton penalty area. It is not an exaggeration to suggest that had Emmanuel Adebayor been composed enough to finish his chances, the half-time lead of two goals would have been trebled.