Arsene Wenger’s men were simply irresistible as man-of-the match Thierry Henry showcased his skills, bagging a brace and setting up another.

Defeat would have condemned the Gunners to an embarrassing group-stage exit - but that was never on the cards in an incredible Champions League encounter at the San Siro.

Victory against Lokomotiv Moscow on December 10 will now guarantee Arsenal progress from Group B, a prospect that looked unlikely at best after two defeats and a draw in their first three games.

Henry opened the scoring after 25 minutes, with Christian Vieri scoring a freak equaliser seven minutes later.

Arsenal’s sublime French forward set up Freddie Ljungberg to tap home three minutes after the break.

And the Gunners went goal crazy late on, with three goals in the final six minutes as Inter collapsed.

Henry hit his second, Edu slotted into an empty net and Robert Pires completed the 5-1 rout of a team which were on a high after winning 6-0 at the weekend.

Wenger’s men are beginning to exert their domestic dominance on foreign fields and this result more than gains revenge for Inter’s 3-0 success at Highbury in September.

Arsene Wenger had recalled former Inter Milan striker Kanu in the absence of Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp, out with groin and hamstring injuries respectively.

Inter boss Alberto Zaccheroni had the luxury of including Christian Vieri - who missed the first encounter – in his starting line-up.

The Italians were by far the greater threat in attack in the opening stages, with Vieri heading wide from Andy van der Meyde’s right-wing cross.

Arsenal came back into the game and Kanu, who spent two years at the San Siro before his 1999 transfer to Highbury, had the visitors’ first crack at goal with 20 minutes on the clock.

He jinked inside Sabri Lamouchi and swept a left-foot effort two yards wide of the near post from 20 yards.

The Londoners had been slow to get men forward in support of Kanu and Henry - but did so to great effect in the 25th minute, seizing the lead.

Ashley Cole led the raid down the left flank, feeding Pires who slipped the ball into Henry’s feet on the edge of the box.

His first-time pass to the onrushing Cole was immediately returned to the French striker and he coolly slotted the ball beyond Francesco Toldo’s outstretched glove and into the bottom right corner.

However, the home side pulled level through a freak goal just seven minutes later.

Van der Meyde pushed the ball wide to Vieri on the left angle of Arsenal’s penalty area.

The big striker crossed and the ball flicked off the heels of Sol Campbell, cruelly arcing over Jens Lehmann and into the net via the underside of the bar.

Lehmann was in the right place at the right time eight minutes before the break, diving low to his right to palm away Marco Materazzi’s driven free-kick.

Arsenal grabbed their Champions League lifeline three minutes after the break thanks to scarcely-believable Inter defending.

The hosts allowed Ljungberg to loiter completely unmarked just six yards from goal.

So when the Swede latched onto Henry’s poked cross from the left, he simply controlled the ball and slipped it past Toldo.

Lehmann gathered Fabio Cannavaro’s header at the other end, before Henry had a golden chance to put Arsenal 3-1 up.

He was given a clear sight of goal by Kanu’s pass but unselfishly chose to square the ball when shooting may have been the better option.

Henry made amends with a stunning third goal for Arsenal six minutes from time.

The striker charged clear, waited for Pires to arrive as support and then ignored him – firing an angled drive into the bottom corner to make it 3-1.

Arsenal then went goal crazy, with Edu making it four in the 87th minute, slotting home Pires’ rolled ball across the goalmouth.

And Pires himself incredibly capped the Gunners’ glory night with a fifth a minute from time, tucking in substitute Jeremie Aliadiere’s cross to make the final score 5-1.