Arsenal 5 - 0 Derby

Emmanuel Adebayor’s hat trick will be the talk of the match, but it was Abou Diaby who got the Gunners going after 10 minutes against Derby earlier today. The Frenchman’s smashed strike from 25 yards out across the face of goal and into the top corner gave Arsenal a lead they were always expecting, and one that they were never in trouble of surrendering. Apart from Adebayor’s three, Cesc Fabregas scored yet again - another long range effort. What a difference a year makes.

So, a bit of padding to the goal differential, and another three points to stay top for another week. Next up is the non-televised third round Carling Cup fixture against Newcastle. Kickoff is 2:45 PM ET on Tuesday and from what I can determine, the only way to follow it will be ATVO. Expect Newcastle to field a fairly strong side, and Arsenal to feature mostly youngsters and reserve players. Should be interesting.