It was an afternoon that went to plan Arsenal as they won the type of game that detractors claim they always do. For Aston Villa, it was an all to predictable humiliation and yet another blank fired with the relegation zone all too close and the ominous visit of title chasing Chelsea next week.
Today’s 5-0 victory at the Emirates was as routine as it gets and all too expected, but the positives are suddenly beginning to pile up for the Gunners. This made it five straight wins in a row, with three in the league for the first time this season, and the return of two of their most pivotal players last season to the fold with goals ahead of the small matter of a North London Derby next week.
Playing a Villa side that sought to put as much pressure on the ball as possible, Arsenal started as they meant to go on. Another of the recently returned brigade, Aaron Ramsey, lashed a drive wide. After more pressure, Arsenal broke through after just eight minutes when Mezut Ozil applied a deft touch with his heel to Per Metrsacker’s pass, allowing Oliver Giroud to break free. There was a fear that the Frenchman had blown the chance with a heavy second touch, but he dug the ball out from behind and clipped Brad Guzan with the air of a man who was scoring his fifth league goal in six games.
That Arsenal would remain scoreless until the second half was a surprise given the events that followed. A delicious exchange of passes between nearly all of the forward line, reminiscent of Jack Wilshere’s fantastic goal against Norwich last season, should have ended in a goal for Ozil but over-elaboration let the visitors of the hook. Laurent Koscileny’s header, coming from a Theo Walcott corner, was cleared from under the bar by Ciran Clark. Santi Cazrola and Oliver Giroud combined to set the Spaniard on goal, with a curling effort somehow not making it two nil after coming off the post. Intricate play between Ozil and Cazorla, who was once again involved in everything good Arsenal did, saw Ozil through on goal; He was able to fire the ball past Guzan before the goal was disallowed for offside. The only respite was when Villa’s new singing Carles Gil – a ray of light for a bleak campaign – put in Villa’s best ball of the day and David Ospina reacted smartly as Hector Bellerin cleaned up the spillage. From the break, Giroud set Walcott free before a superb tackle by Clark in all likeliness prevented Arsenal from getting a second. Francis Coquelin’s rash tackle gave Villa another chance on the edge of the area, but Arsenal dealt comfortably enough with it.
Source: arsenal.com
After half time Villa actually started brightly, exchanging good passes with one another and taking some control; Christian Benteke’s header from a Kieran Richardson cross going wide. A series of throw ins down the right side deep in the Gunners half may have had some Gooners regretting the early chances that went missing. They were not after 56 minutes. Walcott won the ball from deep, moving it onto Giroud, whose fine pass to Ozil, reversing the roles of the first half, saw the German place the ball into the net with a pinpoint finish. Opta was quick to tell the world that it was the fourth goal Ozil had been involved in, all of them against Aston Villa.
Soon after, the game was well and truly buried with another counter to break another mini period of possession. Ospina, set to be the No.1 for the foreseeable future, has many advantages over Wojciech Szczesny at this moment in time in the eyes of an admittedly reactionary fanbase, and his distribution would seem to be one of them. The Colombian sent Walcott racing clear on the left, playing a 1-2 with Cazorla before cutting inside and finding the bottom right hand corner of the net.
It was nearly four when Cazorla’s free kick found Giroud and his header hit the bar – the Frenchman’s last action of the game as he and Walcott went for Chumba Akpom and Tomas Rosicky. It did not take long for the fourth goal to come or Akpom to be involved; chagrining into the box after holding off Joel Okore and being taken down by Brad Guzan for a stonewall penalty. Cazorla took the deserved reward, the force of his penalty being too much for Brad Guzan’s solitary hand.
More substitutions – Ashley Westwood for Carlos Sanchez and Mathieu Flamini for Aaron Ramsey – followed along with a series of mildly threatening arsenal attacks – Mertresacker getting closest. It would be a defender who scored the fifth goal, the magical Cazorla cut inside to give a square ball to the impressive Hector Bellerin, who gave a remarkable side foot into the net from more than 20 yards out; The finish of the day on an afternoon of champagne football. The full time whistle went soon after, with Arsenal dreaming of Champions League football – they are separated by just goal difference from Southampton with Manchester United just one point ahead; Aston Villa must look to the visit of tile chasing Chelsea nervously over their shoulders, still without a goal in over 9 hours of football.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny , Monreal ; Coquelin , Ramsey (Flamini 77), Walcott 7 (Rosicky 75), Cazorla Ozil Giroud (Akpom 70)
Subs not used: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Chambers.
Scorers: Giroud, Ozil, Walcott, Cazorla, Bellerin.
William Kedjanyi
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