Arsenal vs Charlton Athletic - Emirates Stadium, London - Tuesday 2nd January 2007

Three days after rounding off 2006 with a frankly pathetic defeat at Sheffield United, there was an early chance to get a good start to 2007, with a home game against Charlton - a banker, surely, given Charlton's struggles this season. Still, with Alan Pardew newly appointed as manager, they could have caused us some problems as they looked to impress the new boss.

A big boost at kick off with the news that Thierry Henry was back in the side, and he looked up for the game, rested, and explosive again, after his lacklustre and injury-ravaged season so far.

As the game started and then progressed, it became apparent that Charlton are where they are in the league for a very good reason indeed. They are largely inept, most of their simple passes were incapable of being completed successfully, they weren't even trying anything too ambitious, but seemed incapable of even doing the easy stuff properly. A very poor side.

The first goal came when a Fabregas shot looped up, and left a rebound for Van Persie to tap in. As he was on his way to tap it in, he was pulled back, and the ref immediately awarded a penalty and red card. So, Charlton were one down and down to 10 men, and there really was likely to be no way back from there. Just before half time, a good 1-2 involving Justin Hoyte resulted in Hoyte slotting in the second, to a great reaction from the home crowd, no doubt proud that an English player had scored for Arsenal.

The second half contained more of the same, and Arsenal could have easily reached double figures in that half alone. A Rosicky shot that hit the post, an Henry goal that was wrongly disallowed for offside, lots more wasted opportunities by Arsenal, and a series of heroics from Scott Carson in the Charlton goal - all conspired to keep the score at least vaguely respectable. Carson was magnificent, the only Charlton player to emerge with any credit at all, he was making save after save after save, to the point that Arsenal fans started singing England's Number One, and Sign Him Up.

Arsenal did score 2 more in the second half, a penalty which was won by Henry and absolutely crashed into the roof of the net by Van Persie, and a late second by Van Persie again, to round off a great evening. Many of the reports made much of Henry's return, and it was a good one - he scored a penalty, won another, and set up a third goal. He seems to be raring to go, which is a great sign for all Arsenal fans.

This was an easy game, and Arsenal are unlikely to have an easier time of anything for the rest of the season. As a result, you just take the 3 points gratefully, but I couldn't help wondering how Arsenal might have done against better or more competent opposition. The number of chances that were missed, the number of attacks that failed to produce concrete chances, all make you wonder how we will get on in the tougher games to come - if we do not become more clinical. Still, some good shooting practice tonight, with mixed results, against easily the worst Premiership team I have seen this season.