Arsenal stepped up their renewed challenge for a top four place in the Premier League with a ruthless 5-0 demolition of struggling Aston Villa on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger’s side moved above Tottenham into fifth place and within touching distance of fourth-placed Southampton in the race to qualify for the Champions League thanks to their biggest win of the season.

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After their impressive victory at champions Manchester City last month, this was more evidence that Arsenal, who were able to leave new Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista as an unused substitute, are finally hitting their stride after a spluttering first half of the season.

Arsenal’s early dominance was rewarded in the eighth minute when Ozil produced a sublime volleyed back-flick to redirect Per Mertesacker’s long ball into the path of Giroud.

The French forward galloped onto Ozil’s pass, took two touches to steady himself and clipped a cool finish past Brad Guzan for his eighth goal of the season.  

Ruthless Arsenal
Pressing forward in search for an equaliser, Lambert’s side were caught cold by an Arsenal counter in the 56th minute.

Giroud collected a long ball and slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Ozil, whose run had taken him beyond the Villa defence.

The German midfielder guided a fine strike into the far corner for just his second league goal of the season, with the other also coming against Villa in September.

That was a shattering blow to Villa’s fragile morale and Walcott took advantage to claim his first league goal since January last year in the 63rd minute.

After a long battle to return from a serious knee injury, the England winger netted in the FA Cup against Brighton last week and continued his return to peak form with a clinical finish from Cazorla’s pass as the Villa defence parted obligingly.

The margin of defeat became even more embarrassing for Villa in the 75th minute when Guzan brought down substitute Chuba Akpom and Cazorla just managed to squeeze his penalty past the American goalkeeper.

And there was worse to come for Villa in stoppage-time as teenage right-back Bellerin steered in a low long-range effort for his first Arsenal goal.