Champions League: Arsenal v Sporting Braga

The Arsenal players take to the stage at the Emirates Photograph: Tom Jenkins The Gunners' manager Arsène Wenger is all smiles before kick-off Photograph: Tom Jenkins Arsenal start strongly with Samir Nasri among those streaming forward. In only the third minute there's a good chance for the Gunners but Marouane Chamakh can't connect with Andrey Arshavin's fizzing cross-shot. Cesc Fábregas is then bundled over by Paulo César in the box but the referee ignores pleas for a penalty Photograph: Tom Jenkins Still inside the first 10 minutes, Fabregas's pass splits the Braga defence and Chamakh beats the keeper to the ball before being tripped. Penalty. Fábregas steps up and confidently hits it to the keeper's left ... Photograph: Tom Jenkins Felipe guesses correctly ... Photograph: Tom Jenkins ... but the ball is struck powerfully enough to evade his dive and Arsenal are 1-0 up Photograph: Tom Jenkins Fábregas trots off to celebrate with his team-mates Photograph: Tom Jenkins On the half-hour mark, it's 2-0. Again it is the fabulous Fábregas who creates the goal. The Arsenal captain dribbles past two defenders before nudging the ball to Arshavin who has come in from the left to slot past the keeper from 12 yards Photograph: Tom Jenkins Such is Arsenal's feeling of dominance in the opening part of the game that centre-half Laurent Koscielny is up in the Braga area challenging at free-kicks Photograph: Tom Jenkins Jack Wilshere surges forward Photograph: Tom Jenkins Wilshere is the creator for Arsenal's third, this time with an improvised (some might say accidental) back-heel using his standing foot on the the edge of the area. Chamakh picks up the ball and some quick feet bamboozle the defenders around him before he slams it into the bottom corner Photograph: Tom Jenkins Creator and scorer celebrate their handiwork Photograph: Tom Jenkins Fábregas looks to initiate another Arsenal attack Photograph: Tom Jenkins It's not long before Arsenal get their fourth and of course Fábregas is involved, as he starts and finishes the move. He waltzes past two flimsy tackles before knocking the ball wide to Arshavin, who then sends a high ball towards the back stick where the Spain midfielder is all alone and rises to head home Photograph: Tom Jenkins Braga are so bad it is only a matter of time before the Gunners notch again. With 20 minutes to go, yet more swift passing carves open the Braga defence – Wilshere to Fabregas to Arshavin who takes the ball into the box on the left before nudging it through to Carlos Vela who lifts the ball over Felipe Photograph: Tom Jenkins Chamakh hurdles a tackle Photograph: Tom Jenkins Wilshere has his shot blocked – which shows that not every effort from Arsenal went in Photograph: Tom Jenkins Arsenal still aren't finished and score a sixth, again through Vela. Fábregas goes on a run from deep and Wilshere plays a fine ball over the top for him to run on to. Rather unselfishly he lays the ball off to Vela rather than going for his hat-trick, and the Arsenal substitute sends the keeper the wrong way to get his second of the game. It's the second time this season that Arsenal have hit six at the Emirates, so it's no wonder Wenger has been smiling so much of late Photograph: Tom Jenkins