Fair to assume the outrageously gifted Norwegian midfielder was thinking ‘maybe they actually do listen to me’ as he volleyed in Arsenal’s fifth goal. We had not even reached half-time!

Mikel Arteta’s men are feasting at the top table of European football for the first time since their 20 consecutive years of qualification ended in 2017, when they were humiliated in a 10-2 last 16 aggregate defeat by Bayern Munich.

It is hard to imagine this Arsenal side succumbing in similar fashion to Munich, or any other team left in the competition, when the knock-out stages begin next year.

The Premier League leaders have a home win over champions Manchester City to their name this season, but have been far from their swashbuckling best. Until now. Discounting a five-goal thrashing of relegation certainties Sheffield United, this was Arsenal at their free-flowing best.

And it was not as if Ligue Un Lens were useless on the night. They won when the teams played in France last month and came to London genuinely hopeful of getting a result.

Those hopes were quickly dashed by Arsenal’s rejuvenated Germany international Kai Havertz, who followed his late weekend match-winner at Brentford with the opening goal here.

He had already gone close with a classy looping header that bounced a foot wide of a post when he then gave Arsenal a 13th minute lead. Impressive right-back Takehiro Tomiyasu sent in a deep cross from his wing and diminutive forward Gabriel Jesus won a header at the far post to nod down and lay on a close-range finish for Havertz.

The goal eased any pressure that might have been on Arsenal to win this match and they played with the handbrake fully off against a Lens side that had looked comfortable in the very early stages.

Their supporters were exceptionally vocal and visible, with numerous displays of scarves, flags and red and white flares. What the well-heeled Arsenal Diamond Club members made of having one of those flares thrown into their seating section above the lunatic Lens fringe remains to be discovered.

They clearly ruffled the Arsenal players, however, as Jesus made a point of leading his team-mates to celebrate in front of the French faithful after his brilliantly taken goal just eight minutes later. The Brazil forward made the most of a loose ball, following a powerful Bukayo Saka run, beat a baffled defender with a neat turn and then keeper Brice samba with a deft low shot. He cupped an ear in celebration as he ran to the away fans to rub it in too. Maybe something had been said in his direction.

Saka made it three in the 23rd minute. Havertz sent Gabriel Martinelli running at goal and Samba parried his shot straight to Saka, who bundled it over the line with his chest, stomach, or maybe a kidney.

Martinelli scored the pick of the bunch, and Arsenal’s fourth, only five minutes afterwards. An outrageous clearance-cum-pass from Tomiyasu found the Brazil forward in his favourite position wide on the left and he ran at goal before cutting in to curl a shot into the opposite corner of the net.

Odegaard volleyed in a fantastic fifth with virtually the last kick of the first half. It was another cracker too. Saka carried the ball from deep inside his own half up the edge of the Lens area and released the overlapping Tomiyasu. The Japan international clipped a first time cross towards the edge of the six-yard area and Norway’s finest midfielder timed his run and left foot volley to perfection to leave Samba searching for the ball in the back of his net yet again.

Lens coach Franck Haise used the break to make THREE substitutions to try to salvage some dignity for his club, while Arteta withdrew a couple of his harder working players to rest them for duties ahead. This was, after all, only the second of ten matches in a month.

Odegaard completed his feelgood captaincy for the night by handing his 87th minute penalty taking duties to Jorginho (after Lens sub Abduqodir Khusanov handled while planting his arm in Martinelli’s face). The Italian sent Samba the wrong way from the spot. The Italian did a trademark jig to mark the occasion while the fans celebrated with a rare rendition of ‘six-nil to the Ar-senal’.

Arsenal: Raya 6 ; Tomiyasu 8 (White 45), Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Zinchenko 6 (Kiwior 45); Rice 6 (Jorginho 75), Odegaard 7, Havertz 7; Saka 7 (Nelson 66), Jesus 8 (Nketiah 83), Martinelli 8.

Subs: Ramsdale, Hein, Cedric, Trossard, Elneny, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri.

Lens: Samba 4; Gradit 4 (Khusanov, 62), Danso 6, Medina 5 (Machado 45); Frankowski 6, Samed 5 (El Aynaoui 45), Mendy 6 (Da Costa 75), Haidara 5; Sotoca 5 (Thomasson 45), Fulgini; Wahl.

Subs: Leca, Pandor, Aguilar, Diouf, Maouassa, Sai.

Referee: Artur Dias (Portugal) 6.