Arsenal played Hull on Saturday, but the game raised more questions than answers. How did Stephen Hunt stay on the pitch? Is Stephen Hunt the new Robbie Savage? And how long will it be before calling someone a 'Stephen' is an acceptable part of the lexicon of 'Cockney Rhyming Slang'? No question about the result though (3‐0 by the way).

Whilst Hunt is fast becoming the Piers Morgan of the Premiership (you don't love to hate him. You just hate him), Hull City have taken Bolton's mantle as Arsenal's 'bogey team'. Gary Megson's side are rooted in the bottom half of the table; they no longer have the creativity and skill that accompanied the brutish physicality which caused Arsene Wenger so many problems, and Phil 'tango' Brown and his gang from Yorkshire seem intent on replacing the Trotters in the hearts and minds of Gooners everywhere. Despite Arsenal having met Hull just four times in living memory, there exists a level of animosity between the two teams and their managers that will seem familiar for those who observed Wenger's frosty relationship with Sam Allardyce at Bolton and Mark Hughes when he was at Blackburn.

It's an oft repeated opinion amongst pundits and fans that Arsenal 'don't like it up 'em' (although this blog would suggest otherwise when Arshavin is concerned), that is to say the Gunners can't cope with the physical side of the game. Hard tackles and sneaky elbows, that's how to deal with those French pansies from the Emirates. Bravo to Hull for paying close attention when Wenger sent Tony Pulis and the brave lads from Stoke packing, as Phil Brown plumped for essentially the same tactics.

Against Stoke it was the ingenuity of Arshavin and the intelligent football around the box that won the day, but this time, with a more robust midfield of Song,Diaby and Denilson, Arsenal were in a better position to combat the opposition's physical approach. The ensuing first half was disjointed, as persistent fouling left little time for either side to carve out decent opportunities, but two events stick in the mind: one was the mass‐brawl started by Nasri, as he stepped on the foot of the Hull player Garcia. Incredibly all 22 players stayed on the pitch, for which one must grudgingly credit the referee for; the other was a sublime moment of skill from Denilson of all people, the diminutive Brazilian scoring Arsenal's first direct free kick since 2007.

As the game became more stretched in the second half, Arsenal's midfield, in particular Diaby who was majestic in his control, composure and distribution, looked likely to exploit Hull's desire for an equaliser. As it happened, the visitors were gifted a potential route back into the match when Silvestre was harshly adjudged to have fouled Craig Fagan in the box. Steve Bennett indicated that the penalty had been awarded for shirt pulling, but replays suggested the striker had just as much if not more of Silvestre's shirt in his hand when he went over. The issue became academic, however, when Geovanni, scorer of that sublime drive in the very same goal last season, allowed Almunia to beat out his spot kick, with Stephen Hunt incredibly heading the rebound wide from only a couple of yards out.

Moments later, Diaby played a one‐two with Song and his cutback found Eduardo who would have had to try very hard to miss. From that point on the result was a foregone conclusion. Diaby's hard work paid off when he received a pass from Arshavin and with an almost apathetic shrug he fooled his marker and blasted the ball beyond Boaz Myhill in the Hull goal. Walcott should have added a fourth but his attempted lob dropped just wide of the post; in the end 3‐0 seemed ample reward for an Arsenal side that combined strength and skill with near ruthless efficiency.

Hull City were applauded off the pitch by fans of both sides at the Emirates last season, but this time they received no such honour. The plucky underdogs have shed the image that so endeared them to football fans around the country, and few tears will be shed outside Hull if they go down this season. Their overly physical approach was made to look pretty foolish by three much‐maligned midfielders who brilliantly exposed the visitors’ entirely one‐dimensional strategy.

Nice try Phil Brown, but you'll need to get out of the sunbed a lot earlier if you're to fool Arsene Wenger again.