Arsenal 4 Charlton 0

Charlton boss Alan Curbishley did not need a monsoon to feel that the sky was falling in on him at Highbury.

For just when Curbishley believed things could not get any worse on the road following two four-goal drubbings at Bolton and Manchester City, along came Arsenal, and Thierry Henry especially, to pile up still more goals against.

Faced with a team of intimidating talent, Charlton buckled after a promising start as Arsenal pieced together a performance of boundless energy and staggering artistry to stretch their cherished unbeaten sequence to 48 Premier League games.

"Arsenal are the best side in Europe, possibly the best in the world when they get going," said Curbishley. "They demonstrated against us that they could score five or six goals most weeks."

There was little Charlton could do against a side in such imperious form. The visitors have come stumbling out of their traps this season and on Saturday suffered from invasions of anxiety and self doubt in the second half.

Only three teams have won at Highbury since the Addicks triumped 4-2 in November, 2001. Once Freddie Ljungberg had put Arsenal ahead in the 33rd minute there was no chance of a repeat.

Even through the veil of pelting rain, Charlton's problems were transparent. One shot on target tells its own story and on a pitch heavily watered by sprinklers before the game _ and from the heavens later on _ the Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had not a mud stain to his name as he finished as spotless as he had started.

At the other end, Arsenal might have scored seven, yet Charlton defended with a good deal of resolution,none more so than Chris Perry, Jonathan Fortune and Hermann Hreidarsson.

It was in midfield and attack that they betrayed classic traits of a side struggling to re-discover their best form. In both departments they were nervous and frenetic as they became ever more desperate.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has often complained about the stamina-sapping demands of the Premier League season. Yet this was the club's third match in a week and his players showed no signs of fatigue.

Charlton enjoyed their best moments during the opening exchanges. In the third minute, Hreidarsson surged down the left and cut the ball back into the path of Danny Murphy whose shot was deflected for a corner by Jose Antonio Reyes's tackle.

As Charlton hustled and harried Arsenal out of their stride so pre-match suspicions hardened among many members of the media that a surprise could be on the cards.

Arsenal impressed until the final third _ then nothing. Optimism among visiting supporters remained high until, inexplicably, Charlton lost concentration as possession was surrendered in vital areas.

And when Jason Euell lost the ball in the 33rd minute, goalkeeper Dean Kiely was left stranded by Dennis Bergkamp's pass which Ljungberg swept home. The goal steadied Arsenal nerves while Charlton's were shot to pieces.

Seventeen-year-old Francesc Fabregas asserted his authority in midfield by simply moving and passing the ball accurately while Hreidarsson's ability to get behind the Arsenal defence was lost as he became embroiled in a running feud with Ljungberg _ on and off the ball.

Throughout, there was an arrogance about Arsenal's play which they justified by moving the ball around smoothly and almost effortlessly.

Charlton reached the sanctuary of the dressing room at half time believing they were in contention. It was short-lived.

Already this season, Charlton have been on the wrong end of two candidates for Goal of the Season from Jay-Jay Okocha at Bolton and Patrik Berger at home to Portsmouth.

Henry posted his in the 47th minute with a sublime back-heel that nut-megged the close marking Fortune. After that the match became an Arsenal procession.

Henry lashed a spectacular third Arsenal goal in the 68th minute and two minutes later Reyes drove in the fourth after substitute Jermaine Pennant and Bergkamp had combined to create the chance.

Reyes should have made it five in the 76th minute but hoisted the chance over the bar. Arsenal substitute Robin Van Persie had a "goal" disallowed as the side humiliated Charlton by playing keep-ball.

In the final minute, Kiely produced an astonishing save to deny Patrick Vieira a first goal of the season.

For Charlton it was a bad start to a difficult October which threatens to get a whole lot worse.