IT TOOK ONLY A CURSORY glance at the team-sheets to predict that this FA Cup third-round tie would be a mismatch between men and boys and so, ultimately, after an unexpectedly stirring opening, it proved. The youngsters that abounded in the Leeds United line-up by no means disgraced themselves, but, with Thierry Henry at his unplayable best, it was no surprise that Arsenal finished as comfortable winners, rattling in four goals for the fourth time in their past six visits to Elland Road.

The irony on this occasion was that Frazer Richardson and Matthew Kilgallon, the two novices in the Leeds defence, almost escaped trial by Henry. Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, revealed afterwards that he had planned to rest his leading goalscorer, but he changed his mind after Jérémie Aliadière, the 20-year-old forward, succumbed to illness on the morning of the game. What ensued was another masterclass from Henry as he took on and beat the Leeds defence almost singlehandedly.

Mark Viduka’s eighth-minute goal, after an awful error by Jens Lehmann, meant that they, like Chelsea and Manchester United earlier in the weekend, were left facing a third-round exit, but they mustered the perfect response, with Henry scoring a spectacular equaliser before having a hand in each of the three goals that followed. Arsenal have not tasted defeat in the FA Cup since losing to Liverpool in the 2001 final and, while the Barclaycard Premiership and the European Cup are their priorities, they clearly find the prospect of a third consecutive triumph in the competition — a feat not achieved since the 19th century — an appealing one. “We want to win every match we play,” Wenger said. “We just love winning football matches and, apart from the Carling Cup, which I like to use for the youngsters, we want to win every competition we enter.”

Leeds, by contrast, would be entitled to see this result as a blessing in disguise as they return to their desperate struggle for Premiership survival with a crucial game away to Newcastle United on Wednesday. The familiar scoreline might suggest otherwise, after Robert Pires and Kolo Touré came off the bench to score in the final three minutes, but there were enough signs of encouragement for Eddie Gray, the Leeds caretaker manager.

It was perhaps in recognition of Leeds’s mini-revival that Wenger refused Gray permission to play Jermaine Pennant, the Arsenal winger, who is on loan at the Yorkshire club. A series of injuries, though, have led to a crisis of personnel at Leeds, whose defence included Richardson, making his first start at right back, and Kilgallon, a relative veteran of two appearances before yesterday. Farther forward there was James Milner, who acquitted himself well on his 18th birthday before he made way for Aaron Lennon, who is only 16.

With Arsenal almost at full strength, a Leeds victory might have ranked as the biggest surprise of the weekend’s FA Cup action, but for a short time it seemed an upset was on the cards. After a lively opening in which David Batty and Dominic Matteo exerted their authority against Patrick Vieira and company in midfield, Viduka gave the home team an unexpected lead. Not for the first time this season, Lehmann was too casual in dealing with a back-pass and his attempted clearance, after a poor first touch, flew in off Viduka as the forward closed him down.

Arsenal looked rattled, with Viduka almost adding a second midway through the first half, but Henry produced an exquisite equaliser on 26 minutes, adroitly steering a volley past Paul Robinson from Freddie Ljungberg’s right-wing cross to round off a superb flowing move in which Gilberto Silva and Kanu also figured prominently. Seven minutes later, Arsenal were in front as the ball was transferred swiftly from Vieira to Henry, who, this time from the left-hand side, crossed for Edu, timing his run to perfection, to slide the ball past Robinson.

Tempers flared in the players’ tunnel at the half-time interval as Alan Smith and Edu had to be restrained in what eye-witnesses insisted was a “minor” flashpoint, but the second period was a more straightforward affair. Arsenal were now firmly in the ascendancy, with only their profligacy putting the result in any doubt, but the third and fourth goals did not come until the closing minutes after a triple substitution had given them renewed vigour. Pires stroked home the third after Henry — who else — teed him up unselfishly before Touré volleyed the fourth, deep into stoppage time, from a Pires cross.

“It’s a blow, yes, but it’s not easy when you’re up against a world-class side,” Gray said. “You don’t like to lose any game, but the league is our priority and that’s what we’re focusing on now.”

Leeds United (4-3-2-1): P Robinson 5 — F Richardson 5, M Duberry 6, M Kilgallon 6, I Harte 5 — E Bakke 4 (sub: L Sakho, 70min 4), D Batty 5, D Matteo 6 — A Smith 6, J Milner 6 (sub: A Lennon, 84) — M Viduka 6. Substitutes not used: S Olembe, S Johnson, S Carson. Booked: Bakke, Smith

Arsenal (4-4-2): J Lehmann 4 — Lauren 5, M Keown 7, S Campbell 6, A Cole 6 — F Ljungberg 6 (sub: R Parlour, 81), Gilberto Silva 7, P Vieira 6, Edu 7 (sub: K Touré, 81) — Kanu 5 (sub: R Pires, 81), T Henry 8. Substitutes not used: D Bentley, R Shaaban. Booked: Gilberto

Shots on target: (h) 2 (a) 6. Fouls: (h) 8 (a) 10. Offsides: (h) 5 (a) 0

Referee: R Styles 6. Attendance: 31,207

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