Five-goal Arsenal top their group
 |  Spaniard Reyes is congratulated after setting Arsenal on the way to victory |
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LONDON, England -- Arsenal swept into the knockout stage of the Champions League with a 5-1 win over hapless Norwegian side Rosenborg Trondheim in Group E on Tuesday.
First-half goals from Jose Antonio Reyes, Thierry Henry, Francesc Fabregas and Robert Pires from the penalty spot plus a late strike from substitute Robin van Persie took the English champions into the last 16 as group winners.
Overnight leaders PSV Eindhoven went through in second spot after a 4-1 thrashing away to Panathinaikos.
The Greek side now enter the UEFA Cup.
Reyes gave Arsenal the perfect start after just three minutes and Henry added another in the 24th before 17-year-old Spaniard Fabregas became the second youngest scorer in the Champions League with a fine goal on the half-hour mark.
Rosenborg, who knew they would finish bottom, got a goal through Erik Hoftun after Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia failed to deal with a cross.
Pires scored from the spot before halftime, however, and Van Persie completed the rout in the 84th minute.
French manager Arsene Wenger's talented youngsters totally outclassed the Norwegian champions.
Fabregas in particular was outstanding, capping a mature performance with a goal that, at 17 years and 217 days, made him Arsenal's youngest goalscorer in European competition.
Wenger declined an invitation to declare his side as back to their best after their recent stumbles, but smiled: "Maybe we were never as bad as people said we were."
Arsenal can now turn their attentions to Sunday's Premiership summit meeting with Chelsea.
"We said before the game against Birmingham (on Saturday) that we had three big targets -- to beat Birmingham, to qualify tonight and then Sunday.
"We can't say the job is done yet but in Europe the job is done. It would have been very bad preparation (for Chelsea) to have gone out tonight and we knew it would be difficult if took a while for us to score," the Frenchman added.
Arsenal's already depleted resources had been further reduced prior to kick-off when forced Freddie Ljungberg out of the starting line-up and also left him doubtful for Sunday.
Wenger, meanwhile, praised Spanish midfielder Fabregas, saying: "It was an excellent goal and a very dominant performance by a 17-year-old boy especially in the first half."
He refused to be drawn, however, on whether goalkeeper Manuel Almunia would retain his place ahead of Jens Lehmann for the top-of-the-table clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
"I have not decided yet," he said.
Rosenborg coach Per Joar Hansen admitted there had been a big gulf in quality after his team had suffered their 15th defeat in 16 away Champions League matches.
"Arsenal showed us a level tonight we could not really reach and the match was all over by halftime," he said. "They ran faster, jumped higher and showed us how to hit the target and we made too many mistakes."
Rosenborg finished bottom of the group on two points.
