Leaders Arsenal brushed off the shock of conceding an early goal to sweep aside Aston Villa with a performance of imagination and fluent movement. Stand-in keeper Stefan Postma saved Villa from a rout.
The champions found their sharpest form, to extend their unbeaten Premiership sequence to 49 games. They will make it 50 if they avoid defeat at Manchester United next Sunday.
Robert Pires scored twice, the first a coolly-struck penalty. Thierry Henry netted the other.
The only blot on Arsenal's impressive afternoon was an injury to skipper Patrick Vieira which is likely to keep him out of the Champions League match against Panathinaikos in Athens on Wednesday.
Happy manager Arsene Wenger said: "I was a bit concerned when they scored with their first shot. That was an unexpected start.
"Then we created chance after chance. It was very enjoyable to watch. Once we equalised, it always seemed from the bench that we'd win. Our passing and movement were excellent. Their keeper was a hero." Wenger has just started his ninth year in charge at Arsenal. After three championships and three FA Cup wins, he says: "I just try to keep results going and push the team forward." Villa boss David O'Leary, Arsenal's all-time appearance record holder, said: "He's moved Arsenal up. They were always a big club, but they've gone on to another level, playing a style of football never played at Arsenal when I was there." Villa felt the full blast.
Villa rose from 16th to sixth under O'Leary last season. He hopes to bring in at least two players during the January transfer window. His small squad was stretched to its limits as injury and the effects of midweek internationals took their toll.
He said: "If we're going to have a good go at pushing the club on - trying to finish in the top six regularly - signing players in the transfer window would be the start of the process. Then maybe we can continue it in the summer." Arsenal had to make two changes because of injuries. Gael Clichy and Freddie Ljungberg, both had hamstring strains. Ashley Cole, rested for the win over Charlton, returned in place of Clichy. Pires, also rested against Charlton, came in on the right of midfield with Jose Antonio Reyes on the left.
Wenger left midfielder Edu, who played for Brazil in midweek, out of the squad.
The champions were also without his compatriot Gilberto, out for the rest of the month with cracked vertebrae. Cesc Fabregas continued as Patrick Vieira's central partner.
Wenger said: "We had 15 players away on international duty this week. You just hope that everything is right with them, mentally and physically." He need not have worried.
Postma replaced the injured Thomas Sorensen in the Villa goal. It was his first start for 17 months. He played like he had been Villa's first choice for years.
Colombia striker Juan Pablo Angel and Peru midfielder Nol Solano both played for their countries in midweek. They started on the bench after long journeys back to England. Darius Vassell and Thomas Hitzlsperger stepped in.
Arsenal almost made a flying start, when Sol Campbell headed Dennis Bergkamp's second-minute free-kick against a post.
A minute later, they fell behind. Vassell's left-wing cross was only half cleared as Carlton Cole harried the home defence and Lee Hendrie fired a 25-yard shot past Jens Lehmann.
Villa suffered a blow an eighth-minute blow when powerful midfielder Gareth Barry was stretchered off after a challenge from Lauren. Sub Peter Whittingham almost made an immediate impact with a shot that flew inches wide.
Then Arsenal took over. They remained supremely confident despite Villa's early strike. The Gunners cranked up the pressure with each passing minute.
Vieira and his young apprentice Fabregas drove them forward. Bergkamp headed past an upright and Reyes curled a shot wide.
Vieira ran on to Bergkamp's pass and crashed a shot that Postma beat out. The Villa keeper saved again when Cole drilled in a 20-yard left-footer.
The Gunners drew level in the 19th minute. Henry went down under Mark Delaney's tackle. Referee Graham Poll pointed to the spot and Pires sent Postma the wrong way and stroked a low shot into the opposite corner.
Henry usually takes Arsenal's penalties, but he was still feeling the effect of the challenge. Wenger said: "It was Thierry's decision to give the penalty to Robert and it was a good decision because he scored." Reyes forced Postma to parry his 29th-minute effort. The keeper did even better to hold a stinging shot from Fabregas. Bergkamp then capped a lightning Arsenal counter attack with another drive that Postma saved. Henry cut inside and shot, only to be foiled by Postma.
But Henry could not be denied as half-time approached. Reyes played the ball through. Henry beat the offside flag and Ulises de la Cruz, then curled a low shot beyond Postma.
Four players - two from each side - were booked as passions ran high in a tense first half. Only Villa's pride kept them hanging on as Arsenal continued in fluent mood after the interval.
Reyes and Henry combined to find Bergkamp, whose clever backheel set up Reyes to test Postma. Then the Villa keeper thwarted Pires twice in a minute.
O'Leary sent on Steven Davis for Hitzlsperger at half-time but Villa struggled to recapture their early threat. The Villa boss made his last substitution in the 58th minute, gambling by sending on Angel for Carlton Cole.
Arsenal just kept coming from all angles. Postma pulled off a reflex stop from Henry's close-range effort. He flung himself once more to palm away Reyes' 62nd-minute strike.
The Gunners suffered their own injury blow when Vieira had to limp off in the 65th minute after a tackle that earned Jlloyd Samuel a yellow card.
Sub Mathieu Flamini kept Arsenal's momentum running. He started the move for their third, seven minutes later. Henry drifted inside on Flamini's pass, took out a defender with a clever flick and Pires buried the chance from 15 yards.
Angel fired wide from the edge of the box after 76 minutes in a rare Villa attack. But the Colombian was a lone ranger, starved of service as his side struggled to win the ball.
Wenger gave run-outs to Jermaine Pennant and Robin van Persie. The Arsenal boss wore a satisfied smile as his side eased through the closing minutes.
The watching Sven-Goran Eriksson must have been impressed. So must the Panathinaikos scouts.
Man of the Match: Stefan Postma - The Villa keeper was outstanding and saved his side from a thrashing with a string of fine saves, making himself an able stand-in for the injured Thomas Sorensen.