Arsenal duo Fabregas and Wilshere sink Shakhtar

Arsenal 5 Shakhtar Donetsk 1. It was as perfect a night as Arsenal fans could wish for at the Emirates as their boys destroyed Ukrainian champions Shakhtar 5-1. Not only did the Gunners put on another sumptuous show of football, but the visitors' goal came from the boot of Eduardo, the former Arsenal favourite who left the club in the summer. And to top it all, talismanic captain Cesc Fabregas celebrated his return from a hamstring injury by scoring the third from the penalty spot.

Arsenal have now scored 14 goals in their three Champions League matches – a record in the competition - and are in firm control of Group H with nine points, three more than Shakhtar who lie in second despite their London mauling. With three group matches still to play, the Gunners need just three points to ensure their passage into the last 16, ample reason why Arsene Wenger was in such high spirits as he faced reporters. "When you win 1-0 people think it's too difficult, when you win 5-1 people think it's too easy," said the Arsenal boss. "We had a good team attitude and we had a very good technical level."

Wenger was especially delighted in the way his midfield duo of Jack Wilshere and Cesc Fabregas combined with such devastating effect, the latter playing his first game for Arsenal since limping off against Sunderland a month ago. "I am convinced Cesc and Jack work well together - Cesc only came back tonight, but Jack has a good maturity level. You would never think he is only 18 from the way he plays and they combine well together. Wilshere plays football like he is playing with his mates. He has good technical ability, but he doesn't hide from challenges. Those are the strengths you don't want him to lose"

On a wet night in London Arsenal were quickly on top against a Shakhtar side that had won seven games on the bounce in all competitions, though when the first goal came it was courtesy of a dreadful blunder from the visitors' keeper. Samir Nasri swung in a corner from the left and Andriy Pyatov, under no pressure, dropped the ball at the feet of Johan Djourou. Though his shot was blocked on the line by a Ukranian defender, Alex Song was on hand to force the ball into the net for the opening goal.

Pyatov pulled off a decent save from a Nasri half-volley a few minutes later but he was powerless to stop the young Frenchman lashing home Arsenal's second of the night on 42 minutes. It was Nasri's sixth goal in his last six games and he would have had a chance to make it seven on the hour had Fabregas not pulled rank on him.

Arsenal were awarded a penalty after Johan Djouru was felled by Luiz Adriano and Nasri, the Gunners' spot-kick specialist in the absence of Fabregas, looked on in admiration as the Spaniard smashed an unstoppable penalty into the top right-hand corner of the Shakhtar net.

Wenger soon pulled off Fabregas, saving him for Sunday's clash with Manchester City, but even without their inspirational captain, the Gunners continued to make hay.

A neat flick from Marouane Chamakh put Wilshere into space and the teenager exchanged passes with Tomas Rosicky before flicking the ball over the advancing Pyatov for Arsenal's fourth. Chamakh made it five on 69 minutes (his sixth goal for the club in 12 games) though the applause for his effort was equalled for that of Eduardo's when he volleyed Shakhtar's consolation goal eight minutes from time. The Croatian's Arsenal career never fully recovered from the broken leg he received against Birmingham in 2008 and the Emirates' faithful saluted their former favourite with a standing ovation.

"If you wanted a Shakhtar Donetsk player to score a goal then it was Eduardo," said Wenger later. "Everyone has good feelings for him because everyone knows the sort of player he was when he arrived and what he went through." ·