Hull City writer Philip Buckingham makes the long trip back from the Emirates still upbeat about Monday's trip to SwanseaFOR all he has become a figure of derision in recent years, Steve Bruce's heart will have sunk at the sight of Nicklas Bendtner making his first Premier League start in 32 months.
Taken on loan both at Birmingham City and Sunderland, the Danish striker was once a trusted member of Bruce's attack.
Such is the long-standing admiration, the Hull City boss even tried and failed to engineer a third spell with Bendtner during the final throes of summer, offering an escape route to the KC Stadium.
Dutiful to football's quirks of fate, Arsene Wenger handed Bendtner a first start since March 2011 last night and predictably the fallen star needed just 90 seconds to ensure the Tigers' visit to the Emirates would be a fruitless one.
Bendtner and his Arsenal team-mates were simply too good for City, doing everything with the ball but make it talk.
Mesut Ozil, the £42m signing from Real Madrid this summer, effectively killed off the contest early in the second period with the Gunners' second, and only two excellent saves prevented a respectable loss becoming a much heavier beating.
Sunday's momentous victory over Liverpool had pushed City beyond their physical limits and it showed on a night when Bruce's side were always second best. Their fatigue was preyed upon at every turn.
There would be no repeat of September 2008, a game City famously won here 2-1 thanks to goals from Geovanni and Daniel Cousin. Nor would there be another shock to rival the weekend win over Liverpool.
Four days after toppling the Reds with a performance overflowing with vim and vigour, a repeat of those heroics proved beyond the Tigers against the undeniable quality of Arsenal.
There was no disgrace in a far more predictable fate at the hands of the Premier League leaders. Greater sides than City have lost here this term and others are destined to follow. The title credentials of this Arsenal side grow stronger by the week.
City's win over Liverpool had pricked Arsenal ears and among the admirers was Wenger. Calling his visitors "fantastic and dynamic" in his gushing programme notes, there was a notable wariness ahead of welcoming Bruce's side.
Not that it was clear in Wenger's team selection. Handing starts to Bendtner, Tomas Rosicky and Nacho Monreal, the Gunners' boss was still not afraid to take a calculated gamble against a visitor that included nine of the starting XI that had conquered Liverpool.
Only the suspended Curtis Davies and Robert Koren missed out, replaced by James Chester and Danny Graham.
City travelled in good numbers but several hundred will have missed their side being on level terms when arriving late after delays on the M1. That honour lasted just 90 seconds.
Before the Tigers had barely touched the ball they were behind.
An outstanding move down the right flank cut the visitors to ribbons with Rosicky and Aaron Ramsey combining to set right-back Carl Jenkinson clear down the right. His cross was perfect and Bendtner nodded smartly past Allan McGregor. City's nightmare start could have been much worse.
Per Mertesacker's header was spilled by McGregor before being scrambled clear, while the Scot was also relieved not to see a further lapse punished.
A mess was made of Ozil's low shot and Bendtner, slightly off balance, should have profited inside the six-yard box.
The Tigers belatedly caught a collective breath and found their feet, but the feel of the contest was markedly different to Sunday's success story.
Where Tom Huddlestone, captain for the night, Jake Livermore and David Meyler had harassed Liverpool into submission, Arsenal's incisive passing game was too much to subdue. Shadows were chased, as well as tails.
With City's two-pronged attack of Graham and Yannick Sagbo hopelessly isolated, Arsenal's domination was near total inside the opening half-hour.
Ramsey, who had already bagged 13 goals from the Gunners' midfield this season, was only denied by a stunning save from McGregor, diving full stretch to his left to keep out the Wales skipper.
City's best chance of the opening period eventually came nine minutes before the break. Huddlestone's advances down the left ended with a low centre across the face of the goal, yet inexplicably neither Graham nor Sagbo had gambled with the necessary burst.
If nothing else, though, the half chance gave the visitors a platform to finish the half well.
City will have emerged with a chance they perhaps were fortunate to hold on the balance of play, but that was soon snatched away.
After needing less than two minutes to open the scoring, the Gunners needed less than three minutes of the second half to double their lead.
Slack play on the left, with two players appealing for a throw-in, allowed Ozil to move away into space and when he collected a wonderful blind pass from Ramsey, the German was allowed to roll a simple finish past McGrgeor.
Arsenal sensed blood and pressed for a third. Ramsey was denied at the end of a flowing move by the block of McGregor, while Bendtner's header from the resultant corner was cleared off the line by Robbie Brady.
City still fought manfully, Livermore shooting at the midriff of Wojciech Szczesny and substitute George Boyd nodding wide, but a fourth consecutive away defeat was written in the stars long before.
A more realistic chance for points will come with a trip to Swansea on Monday and after the week that was, Michael Laudrup's men will bring something close to respite.