Fulham boss Chris Coleman was happy with his side's effort, with Jensen having given them a 23rd-minute lead, but criticised his defence for allowing Arsenal to score four times.

"We had a go, we didn't come and lie down. When we were 1-0 up, we were still throwing men forward but without being kamikaze," he said.

"But I was bitterly disappointed with the way we defended the four goals. They were all avoidable and I was disappointed for Tony Warner, who performed well.

"It was poor, sloppy and our concentration levels weren't good enough. We were drifting, ball-watching, giving away the ball and not getting the right side of the man.

"If we can't be trusted to give a pass out of defence, we should just boot it 90 yards upfield like other teams in this league.

"But there were a lot of positives from us. We competed on the pitch, created our own chances and Arsenal were never really comfortable. At 4-1, it looks like a hammering but it wasn't."

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger hailed Thierry Henry as the "dream" striker after the Arsenal captain came to terms with his new role by leading his side to victory against Fulham - and moved closer to a place in the record books.

Wenger had been worried Henry was neglecting his natural game in trying too hard in coping with his new responsibilities after the departure of Patrick Vieira.

Wenger said after Wednesday's 4-1 Barclays Premiership success: "Thierry's record is just tremendous, I can't say more than that. He is what you dream of as a centre-forward.

"That's why I want him to play centre-forward. Sometimes when you get this kind of new responsibility, you can lose a bit of focus on your own game.

"Thierry wanted to play everywhere, he wanted to help on the left, right and in the midfield, and you lose a bit of energy. But tonight he was doing what he does best.

"He led the line very well. When he's playing like that, there's no better player in the world. He was focused on his job, played in his position well and he was responsible, with Dennis Bergkamp, for us looking a different side.

"We need Thierry to lead the line high and central. He's the only one who can give us that tremendous physical power. Nobody else has that in our side."

Although Arsenal struggled to impose themselves until later in the second half, Wenger believes they have now recovered from their defeat at Stamford Bridge.

"We wanted to transform the frustration and belief which came from the Chelsea game into a desire to win. We were focused and sharp," he said.

"The Chelsea match came a bit early but we are getting stronger and stronger with every game."