Arsenal handed out a merciless beating at Maine Road this afternoon - and both halves of Manchester felt the pain.

The Blues might have taken the brunt of a tortuous Premier League battering at the hands of Arsene Wenger's men but Sir Alex Ferguson's Red Devils are starting to suffer the anguish of another failed Premiership title bid as the Gunners moved five points clear.

Assessing the difference between his own side and the visitors from Highbury, Blues boss Kevin Keegan proclaimed a gap in the region of 'a million light years'. On this evidence, he has badly underestimated the margin.

True, the home side's chances weren't helped by some abject defending and a non-existent midfield but the defending champions were too quick, too slick and far, far too good.

The combination of Thierry Henry's pace, Dennis Bergkamp's trickery and Patrick Vieira's midfield surges proved unstoppable. All three scored, as did Robert Pires and Sol Campbell as City faced once of their most humiliating defeats of modern times.

A quick glance at the team sheet and a City midfield containing Eyal Berkovic, Djamel Belmadi and Marc-Vivien Foe would have left most home fans fearing the consequences of a sustained period of Arsenal attack.

But never in their worst chilling nightmares could they have imagined the carnage which was to follow.

Poor Carlo Nash will be shattered for life. Two years ago, the former Stockport keeper made his City debut against Arsene Wenger's side and promptly conceded four goals inside 36 minutes. Today, on the same ground, against the same opposition, he conceded the same miserable number twice as fast.

Not that the finger could have been pointed at the shellshocked keeper who was let down by some abject defending and a lack of will within the City midfield to track back when they didn't have the ball.

In fairness, it is not Richard Dunne's fault that he isn't blessed with blinding pace. But after admitting he was glad to get off the field after an abysmal recent appearance at wing-back in the home defeat by West Brom, he probably wanted to keep running out of the stadium as Henry continually passed him the way a greyhound would a snail.

The key to a home victory was always likely to be an opening goal. They had one chance, when Robbie Fowler was set free by David Sommeil. Unfortunately, the former England man couldn't burst away as he once might have done and the visitors defence got back to snuff out the danger. Instantly, Arsenal were in front and quickly out of sight.

Keegan will want to know why Lauren's angled pass along the ground was allowed to roll 30 yards without a City player getting near it. Once the ball had reached its destination at the far post, Bergkamp despatched it with the minimum of fuss.

Arsenal should have doubled their lead in the eight-minute lull which followed but Bergkamp elected to keep possession rather than feeding Gilberto or Henry to his right.

If Keegan thought it was a pivotal moment, he was badly mistaken as the visitors cut loose with a breathtaking burst of attacking play which his hapless defence couldn't cope with.

Henry certainly didn't need Dunne to present him with possession with a weak clearance but having done so, the Irishman found himself bypassed on the byline, the cut-back to Pires finished clinically at the near post.

Before Keegan could even think about re-organisation, Arsenal had scored again.

Last season in the Nationwide League, Martin Keown's long ball out of defence would have presented no danger, here Henry needed one touch to control it with his right foot and one more to smash a 20-yard shot into the corner with his left. The word brilliance doesn't even begin to do it justice.

By comparison, Sol Campbell's fourth was routine, a far post header bulleted home from Henry's corner.

City survived further pain until the interval, when Dunne's misery was brought to an end.

Unfortunately the home side's wasn't and when Vieira exchanged passes with Bergkamp eight minutes after the restart, the Gunners skipper strolled forward and despatched a fifth past Nash.

It was so easy double figures appeared within reach. Bravely though, inspired by their magnificent support, City fought on but a series of outstanding stops from David Seaman's stand-in Stuart Taylor looked like denying them a consolation until Nicolas Anelka tapped home against his former club.

There was no celebrations. They were all confined to the Arsenal dressing room.

Teams

Man City Nash, Dunne (Wright-Phillips 45), Howey, Sommeil, Jihai, Berkovic, Foe, Belmadi (Benarbia 65), Jensen, Fowler, Anelka.

Subs Not Used: Weaver, Horlock, Goater.

Goals: Anelka 87.

Arsenal Taylor, Lauren, Keown, Campbell, van Bronckhorst, Wiltord (Jeffers 74), Silva, Vieira, Pires (Edu 74), Bergkamp (Parlour 64), Henry.

Subs Not Used: Cygan, Warmuz.

Goals: Bergkamp 4, Pires 12, Henry 15, Campbell 19, Vieira 53.

Att: 34,960

Ref: P Durkin (Dorset).