Football: The new Arsenal take the title in stirring style

Arsenal 4 Everton 0

THE title may be built on ancient foundations but there can be no more eloquent statement of the new Arsenal than the way they sealed their 11th League championship yesterday.

Steve Bould, strolling the midfield as a late substitute, chipped a perfectly weighted pass over Everton's ponderous defence where it was met by Tony Adams, striding from the back to clinically drive the ball, left-footed, inside the far post.

Once the pair just stopped goals and popped a few in at set-pieces, now they make and finish them in open play. Vive la difference.

Adams' goal completed the near-rout of a rugged but wholly inadequate Everton side whose biggest achievement was to finish with 11 men. An early own goal from Slaven Bilic, induced by Adams, set them up and a brace from Marc Overmars clinched this 10th successive Premiership victory.

The only cloud on Arsenal's horizon appeared to be a bad injury to Emmanuel Petit after a reckless tackle by Don Hutchison. Fortunately X-rays revealed no break and he will be fit for the FA Cup final.

In these satellite television days few clubs have the privilege of winning the title in front of their own fans and Arsenal made the most of it. Bob Wilson and Pat Rice, key figures in the 1970-71 championship side, joined the party as did Petit, back from hospital with his leg heavily bandaged. The loudest cheers were reserved for Arsene Wenger, Ian Wright, a championship-winner at last, and Dennis Bergkamp, whose hamstring injury kept him out yesterday.

Despite his absence Everton, as if in homage to the ghosts of Highbury past, had come with four centre-halves including Bilic in midfield. An unbalanced side also had Nick Barmby and Peter Beagrie on the wings but lacked the most important ingredient, confidence.

As Arsenal's passing, movement and composure showed they had it in bucketloads and, within two minutes, they were pulling Everton to pieces. The first attempt even came from an Everton free-kick - the ball rebounded off the wall, Nigel Winterburn picked it up and had a choice of three unmarked team-mates charging forward. He chose Christopher Wreh whose shot brought a good save from Thomas Myhre.

Four minutes later Arsenal were ahead, from an Everton head. It belonged to Bilic who, with Adams climbing all over him, directed Petit's right flank free-kick into his own net.

Winterburn, celebrating a pre-match award for making his 500th appearance, now created wasted chances for both Overmars and Nicolas Anelka before Ray Parlour brought another good save from Myhre with a diving header from Wreh's cross.

Anelka and Wreh both tested Myrhe after being put in by Petit and Dixon also went close before Arsenal struck again. Beagrie, going nowhere in midfield, was dispossessed by Anelka and Overmars, from his own half, ran at the terrified Everton defence before shooting past Myhre without even being tackled.

Arsenal continued to create chances with Vieira twice shooting over but Everton refused to fold. Their desire expressed itself, however, in a series of heavy challenges and indisciplined assaults and they were lucky to reach the break with 11 men. Duncan Ferguson was booked for man-handling Martin Keown and John O'Kane was cautioned for an off-the-ball whack at Petit. Having recovered from that the Frenchman was then felled by a two- footed lunge from Hutchison who, having already been booked, was very fortunate to escape a red card.

At half-time, while a fuming Petit was being ferried to hospital for X-rays, Howard Kendall re-structured his team making three substitutions. They re-emerged 4-4-2 with Barmby now wide on the left.

It briefly made a difference, Arsenal were the better side but Everton had a measure of possession and even won a corner. Then Michael Ball, in the centre-circle, gave the ball away with a risky pass and Overmars raced away for his 15th goal of the season.

Anelka was denied by yet another save from Myhre before, with 19 minutes left, Highbury rose to the long-awaited return of Wright. There was an understandable rustiness about his play but it enlivened the closing stages of a match that appeared to have lost its intensity until Adams first kicked Mickael Madar in a flare-up then scored his sublime goal.

Everton had not even managed a shot on target. Eleven years ago on this ground a Wayne Clarke goal proved the decisive moment as Everton overhauled Liverpool to win their ninth league title. There has been one FA Cup and some brief sallies into Europe but the intervening years have been marked by a steady decline.

In four of the last five years they have narrowly escaped relegation, now they must take at least a point more against Coventry City, at a tense Goodison Park next Sunday, than Bolton Wanderers can gather at Stamford Bridge against a Chelsea preoccupied with the European Cup-Winners' Cup final.

After recent home defeats against Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa few of the faithful are betting on it. The thought of this defence facing Darren Huckerby will be causing nightmares on the blue half of Merseyside all week. Thus, as the Arsenal fans lustily sung "We shall not be moved'', Everton's stood silently, after 44 years' tenure in the top division they fear they will be.

Goals: Bilic (og) (4) 1-0; Overmars (28) 2-0; Overmars (57) 3-0; Adams (88) 4-0.

Arsenal (4-4-2): Seaman; Dixon, Keown, Adams, Winterburn; Parlour, Vieira, Petit (Platt, 45), Overmars; Anelka, (Wright, 71), Wreh (Bould, 79) Substitutes not used: Grimandi, Manninger (gk).

Everton (5-4-1): Myhre; O'Kane (Madar, h-t), Short, Watson, Tiler, Ball; Barmby, Hutchison, Bilic (Farrelly, h-t), Beagrie (Oster, h-t); Ferguson. Substitutes not used: McCann, Gerrard (gk).

Referee: G Ashby (Worcester)

Bookings: Arsenal: Dixon. Everton: Hutchison, O'Kane, Ferguson, Oster, Barmby.

Man of the match: Adams.

Attendance: 38,269.

Filling the trophy cabinet

How Manchester United and Arsenal have led the way in the past 10 seasons

League FA Cup League Cup

1997-98 Arsenal Arsenal or Chelsea

Newcastle

1996-97 Man Utd Chelsea Leicester

1995-96 Man Utd Man Utd A Villa

1994-95 Blackburn Everton Liverpool

1993-94 Man Utd Man Utd A Villa

1992-93 Man Utd Arsenal Arsenal

1991-92 Leeds Liverpool Man Utd

1990-91 Arsenal Tottenham Sheff Wed

1989-90 Liverpool Man Utd Nottm F

1988-89 Arsenal Liverpool Nottm F

European honours: 93-94: Arsenal: European Cup-Winners' Cup. 90-91: Manchester United: European Cup-Winners' Cup.

Major trophies 1989-1998

Man Utd 9

Arsenal 6*

Liverpool 4

A Villa 2

Chelsea 2

Nottm F 2

Blackburn 1

Everton 1

Leeds 1

Leicester 1

Sheff Wed 1

Tottenham 1

* Plus possible FA Cup this season