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No one at Arsenal will be fooled into thinking that this result means anything other than a place in today’s draw for the Champions League group stages. Arsène Wenger’s team have plenty to prove this season, but a sleepwalk past such limited opponents as FC Twente was not the right occasion to draw any conclusions.

Back in a north London dugout after nine months, Steve McClaren’s face was again consumed with concern as the Twente manager watched his side crack and crumble under only moderate pressure. Still, unlike that Wembley night against Croatia, this failure to qualify was entirely expected; and at least the weather was nice.

A few dark clouds had gathered around Arsenal after their defeat by Fulham last weekend, but with the Londoners holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg of this Champions League qualifier, this was a mild evening.

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Despite his anger at the performance against Fulham, Wenger resisted the urge to make wholesale changes, but there was a return for Cesc Fàbregas, back after a hamstring injury. “He brings calm and confidence to the side,” Wenger said.

Theo Walcott brought excitement. “He can be decisive in any game against anybody,” his manager said. “He has improved his first touch, his link play, his control. He looks to have found the right balance between team play and individual play.”

A video on YouTube shows McClaren trying to speak English in a Dutch accent during an interview in the apparent belief that a voice pitched somewhere between Martin Jol and Goldmember from the Austin Powers film will endear him to the natives. If McClaren is doing his best to go Dutch, that instinct was one of his team’s flaws last night.

There was enough evidence from the first leg, let alone the past few seasons, that the heart of Arsenal’s defence is uncomfortable when opponents play a direct and physical style, but Twente insistently tried to pass from the back. It sounds nice, but with their motley crew of hatchet men, it was not so much total football as total rubbish.

Indeed, the opening goal in the 27th minute came after the visiting team carelessly gave the ball away in defence. Walcott’s cross was touched back by Robin van Persie to Samir Nasri, who skilfully beat Edson Braafheid and scored with a tame shot that deflected off Douglas.

It was the cue for Twente’s back line to abandon ship. Denilson ran through on goal, but his anxious shot was easily saved. Seconds after Nicklas Bendtner had squandered a one-on-one, Walcott zipped clear and crossed for Van Persie. With the goalkeeper scrambling to recover his position, the Holland forward had two yards’ width of empty net to aim for, but he curled his shot wide.

Even allowing for their limitations — McClaren bemoaned the devastating effect of having to sell Luke Wilkshire, the former Bristol City utility man, to Dynamo Moscow this week — Arsenal’s opponents were feckless. “We are hurt and disappointed. We didn’t play how we can, we didn’t have belief,” McClaren said, pointing out that the Dutch season is yet to start.

Suffering from a stomach bug that caused him to be sick at half-time, Nasri did not reappear for the second period, but that did not stem Arsenal’s creativity.

Gallas, who scored in the first leg, found the net again seven minutes into the second period. With little to occupy him in his day job, the defender advanced up the pitch and tucked in the rebound after Nicolay Mihaylov had parried Bendtner’s low shot.

Bendtner rounded off the scoring at the end after he was set up by a smart flick from Denilson, but Walcott had scored the goal of the game midway through the half. Bearing down on goal from the left, he curled the ball low past Mihaylov into the far corner, much as Thierry Henry used to do in this neighbourhood.

Oure style; but then it should come easily against opponents with no substance.

Arsenal (4-4-1-1): M Almunia 6 — B Sagna 6, W Gallas 6, J Djourou 6, G Clichy 6 — T Walcott 8, F Fàbregas 6 (sub: A Song, 67min 6), Denilson 5, S Nasri 6 (sub: E Eboué, 46 6) — R van Persie 6 (sub: E Adebayor, 65 6) — N Bendtner 5. Substitutes not used: L Fabianski, K Touré, C Vela, A Ramsey. Booked: Clichy.

FC Twente (4-3-3): N Mihaylov 4 — E Braafheid 3 (sub: S Rajkovic, 87), Douglas 3, R Wielaert 3, J Heubach 2 (sub: N Wellenberg, 46 5) — W Brama 4, C Tioté 4, T Janssen 4 — R Denneboom 4, S Huysegems 4, E Elia 4. Substitutes not used: C Paauwe, R Zomer, P Gerritsen, T Chery, J Reinenink. Booked: Wielaert, Braafheid, Tioté.

Referee: T Hauge (Norway).