Wenger sure he has the men to triumph

Such is the quality in Arsenal's squad, Wenger was able to summon from the substitute's bench Ray Parlour, Robert Pires and Kolo Toure for the final 20 minutes. The fact Pires and Toure both scored seemed to emphasise the gulf in class.

What it all means of course is that while rivals contemplate costly swoops into the transfer market, Wenger is happy with what he has and is most unlikely to add any significant names to his playing staff during the January transfer window.

The progress made in the past month suggests all is well in the Arsenal dressing room. Those who think Arsenal are a one man team centred around Thierry Henry should know Wenger planned to rest the striker yesterday until his deputy, Jeremie Aliadiere, went down with illness just before kick-off.

Henry showed no sign of needing a rest yesterday as he scored his 17th goal of the season, helped create two more and even found time to help out his defensive colleagues at critical moments.

Henry's pace, and control of the ball at speed, is remarkable and you could sense the reluctant admiration of the locals when he swept through the bewildered Leeds defence.

Eddie Gray's team didn't play badly and in 35-year-old David Batty they have a player who remains a beacon of defiance and will be an influential figure in their fight against relegation .

Leeds started positively at Elland Road and even promised great things when Jens Lehmann, careless and casual, lashed a clearance against the outstretched boot of the advancing Mark Viduka. The ball bounced past the embarrassed Arsenal goalkeeper into an empty net.

Leeds, though, were unable to build on their eighth-minute goal.

Henry vol leyed a beautiful equaliser from Freddie Ljungberg's pinpoint right-wing cross and then, in the 33rd minute, the dashing Frenchman supplied a pass from the left that Edu slid into the Leeds goal.

In the second half, Sol Campbell headed over the Leeds crossbar, Matthew Kilgallon cleared an Edu shot off the line and Paul Robinson saved well from Kanu.

Leeds huffed and puffed and caused Arsenal one or two troublesome moments. Martin Keown, making only his second first-team start since September, made two critical interceptions before Pires finally killed off any hopes of a revival in the 87th minute.

Then, in injury time, Henry chipped a delightful pass to the back post where Toure sidefooted the fourth. Moments later, as the referee blew the final whistle, Henry signalled James Milner from the Leeds substitute bench. It was his 18th birthday and Henry gave him his shirt - - a nice touch.

"It wasn't until we were a goal down that we started to play," Wenger said. "Leeds gave us a hard game and never gave up but I thought the sharpness of our passing was the big difference between the teams."

And so Wenger's love affair with one of the great traditions of English football continues.

Since his first season here, when George Graham's Leeds won 1-0 at Highbury in a fourth round replay, Wenger has lost just three of 40 FA Cup matches - to Manchester United in that epic semi-final replay at Villa Park in 1999, at Leicester in a penalty shoot-out a year later and the 2001 final against Liverpool.