Arsenal 2 (Adebayor 30, Gilberto 38)
Reading 0

The Royals were soundly beaten by Arsene Wenger's attractive Arsenal outfit this afternoon; Emmanuel Adebayor and Gilberto goals separating the sides.

Read a minute-by-minute analysis from the Emirates here.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Clichy, Toure (Eboue 61), Song, Gallas (capt), Fabregas, Gilberto, Hleb (Denilson 74), Walcott, Van Persie, Adebayor (Bendtner 74).
Subs: Mannone, Senderos.

Reading (5-4-1): Hahnemann, Murty, Rosenior, Bikey, Ingimarsson (capt), Sonko (Duberry 74), Harper (Fae 74), Cisse, Kebe (Matejovsky 79), Convey, Kitson.
Subs: Federici, Doyle.
Yellow: Kitson, Bikey, Sonko.

Ref: Peter Walton
Att: 60,109

Live updates

12:11pm - The Royals are much-changed. The shape will be defensive - 5-4-1 - and Jimmy Kebe makes his full first team debut on the right. Bobby Convey, Ibrahima Sonko and Graeme Murty are all drafted into the starting line-up too.

Arsenal meanwhile, make just one change. Theo Walcott comes in for Emmanuel Eboue on the right.

12:29pm - The two teams are out warming up on a cold blustery early afternoon. It's a beautiful surface as I'm sure I don't need to tell you.

12:32pm - The home fans seem to have some sort of rattle in their hands which is making a sound as though the wind is rattling something.

12:34pm - Ray Parlour has just walked behind us in the press seats. Alan Smith is here too for Sky Sports.

12:41pm - Both sets of players have left the field now. There are still a number of empty seats - the early kick off has probably caught a few out. They are fast being filled though and the away section is packed.

12:44pm - Elvis' 'Wonder of You' is playing before the players emerge. Footage on our mini screens from within the tunnel shows the two times lining up. Jens Lehmann and Marcus Hahnemann share a handshake and a few words.

12:47pm - Arsenal will kick us off.

2 mins - Kitson wins a corner. Good closing down from Cisse helped. Kebe takes it but it's easily cleared.

3 mins - Arsenal win a corner now on the left. Fabregas swings it in and Hahnemann catches it calmly.

8 mins - Arsenal are bossing possession and Kebe slides in on Clichy rampaging down the left. He gets none of the ball and the Gunners win a free kick. No booking for Kebe. And the free kick is laid back to Van Persie who lashes over.

9 mins - Hleb threads the ball through to Fabregas who is in. He has ground to cover and Sonko chases back to pressure him into an early and fairly feeble shot that Hahnemann easily saves. Ominous signs though.

11 mins - Walcott squirms away down the left and the low cross is cut out for a corner. Van Persie earns a better angle to cross and Adebayor has a free header but he mistimes it and it bobbles wide of the right post.

13 mins - Kitson wins a free kick on the left which Rosenior chips in. It's dropping into Lehmann's arms and Kitson can't get there.

16 mins - Hahnemann scuffs a goal kick to Arsenal feet but Cisse slides in to tackle brilliantly inside the centre circle.

17 mins - Bikey brings it clear and finds Harper to his right. Harper looks long for Kitson and it's not a bad idea but it's just too strong for Kitson to het a head to and he's flagged offside anyway.

19 mins - Walcott's pace is too much for Rosenior but Ingimarsson is covering. He can't wait for Hahnemann to collect with Walcott closing in, and he miskicks his clearance over the onrushing Hahnemann. The US stopper recovers well to race back and collect on the bounce.

21 mins - A good interchange between Convey, Kitson and Rosenior on the left sees Kitson cross. Kebe is racing in but it's just too high for him. Another move down the right sees Cisse come close to connecting at the near post. Again just too high for the Malian.

24 mins - Twice Sonko stays strong to prevent Adebayor but Arsenal still win a corner on the right. Again they take it short to get a better angle and Hahnemann just wins it ahead of Walcott to punch behind.

26 mins - Walcott plays a nice one two and he's in at the byline after Ingimarsson slips. Hahnemann narrows the angle and Sonko intercepts his cut back.

28 mins - Kitson trips the marauding Hleb to earn a yellow card and concede a free kick 25 yards out. Fabregas is lining it up but Van Persie takes it. It fizzes just wide and Hahnemann may have got a touch because a corner is given. Fabregas delivers from the right and Song nods a free header wide of the far post. The goal is surely coming.

30 mins - GOAL! And there it is. A simple chipped ball into Adebayor from Toure and Sonko can't cut it out. Adebayor chests it down and slides it wide of Hahnemann's dive low to the left.

33 mins - Arsenal are peppering for a second now. Toure is played in down the right and he cuts it back. Fabregas' slide falls just short and Reading scramble it clear.

34 mins - Kitson, out on the right flank, crosses high to the far post. Harper is underneath it but he can't direct the header anywhere other than behind for a goal kick.

37 mins - Reading are looking for some sort of joy with long balls forward in a swirling wind, but Arsenal look comfortable.

38 mins - GOAL! Fabregas tees up Gilberto and it opens up for him. He lets rip and it takes a horrid deflection off Bikey's head and flies past Hahnemann's right glove. Arsenal are in the hunt for more here and it could end up being a rout if Reading aren't careful.

42 mins - It should have been three. Adebayor beats the offside trap and cuts it back. Van Persie has time to pick his spot but Hahnemann saves low to his right.

44 mins - Toure now gets a bit of space on the right side of the box. He drills it low and Hahemann dives to his left this time to push it behind.

45 mins - Great stuff from a fluent Arsenal side. Gilberto shoots after being teed up by Van Persie and Hahnemann hangs on to this one low to his left.

HALF TIME - Respite. It's all about how many Arsenal want now. They look in no mood to sit back and settle for two though. No other scores to follow what with the early kick off. Bolton could theoretically overtake us though with a win over Middlesbrough this afternoon.

48 mins - Sadly Arsenal have started the second half on the front foot.

50 mins - Walcott runs onto a ball over the top and with his pace this is a chance. Hahnemann flies out of his area to put the youngster off and although he lofts it over the Royals keeper, Ingimarsson is back to head it away from the open goalmouth.

53 mins - Kitson is dragged back by Gallas on the left and a free kick is given. Reading take it quickly but to no avail and Lehmann has a goal kick.

54 mins - Reading's inability to clear the ball almost leads to a third. A number of scrambles inside the six yard box eventually end with Reading somehow clearing the danger.

58 mins - A rare Reading attack is led by Convey's break. He finds Kebe to the right but his low centre is cleared by Song. Bikey clatters into Van Persie and earns himself a booking.

60 mins - Murty is down after being hit off the ball by Hleb. The replays show his threw a slap the Royals skipper's way. Nothing is done about it but Murty is furious.

61 mins - Arsenal substitution. Toure is replaced by Emmanuel Eboue at right back.

62 mins - Kebe comes central to run at the Gunners defence. He finds Kitson, who almost slides in Convey. Convey wins it back and looks to return the favour by slipping Kebe in on the left. But Arsenal intercept.

65 mins - Clichy is left to run down the left and he swings in a cross. Van Persie is flagged offside so Hleb's follow up that thunders into Sonko's groin doesn't count for anything. Sonko might take a few minutes to run off that block though.

69 mins - Fabregas skips past two Harper challenges and lays it off. He continues his run into the middle and is rewarded with a free header, but he can't get enough on it to trouble Hahnemann and it skims wide.

71 mins - Sonko concedes a free kick right on the edge of the box by tripping Walcott. Van Persie strikes it and it's aimed towards to top left corner. It seems to hit the crossbar and then the post and out. Very close to 3-0.

73 mins - Fabregas skips over a couple of challenges on the edge of the box and the ball breaks to Walcott. He picks his spot but it hammers against the crossbar and over.

74 mins - Reading double substitution. Harper is replaced by Emerse Fae and Sonko is taken off for Michael Duberry.

74 mins - Double Arsenal substitution. Denilson and Bendtner are on for Adebayor and Hleb.

76 mins - Denilson tries to come to the party by hammering a 22-yard volley just over the crossbar.

78 mins - Kitson wins it off Song in the corner and he lays it back for Convey. There's no-one to cross to so he edges inside the area from the right himself and skips over Gallas. He shoots from a narrow angle and Lehmann has to tip it over.

79 mins - Kebe is forced off with an injury and Marek Matejovsky replaces him.

82 mins - Bikey to Matejovsky, who touches it through the Arsenal back line to Rosenior who is flagged for offside. It looked tight. Rosenior's low cross found Kitson but Lehmann saved anyway.

83 mins - Arsenal play some great stuff out on the right and pick a pass to Fabregas in acres to the left. He cuts inside onto his right foot and shoots only to see his effort cleared off the line by an acrobatic lunge from Michael Duberry.

84 mins - Van Persie gets it on the left and crosses low into the box. It comes off Bikey and flies past Hahnemann but Van Persie is adjudged to be offside. Tight again. No goal.

88 mins - Hahnemann launches a long free kick forward and Duberry chests it down for Bikey. He winds up a shot and fires a half volley high over the bar.

89 mins - Convey tumbles on a run in from the left. No free kick is given and Arsenal bring it away from Bikey who had joined him in attack.

90 mins - Three minutes of injury time are signalled.

90(+2) mins - A long kick is nodded back by Duberry. Ingimarsson touches it to Bikey who fires a left-footed volley low towards the right corner. Lehmann scambles across to save. An attacking move set up by three centre-backs.

FULL TIME - Arsenal were comfortable throughout and should have scored more. Reading's endeavour can't be questioned, but from the moment Arsenal went ahead the result was never in any doubt. Wigan next!! But first all eyes on Bolton at Boro this afternoon and Birmingham at Villa tomorrow.