Published: 5 April, 2015 
by TOM FOOT at the Emirates Stadium 

Premier League 
ARSENAL 4, LIVERPOOL 1 

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger looks likely to maintain his spotless record of finishing every season above Tottenham Hotspur since he took charge in 1996.

Arsenal’s devastating 4-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, coupled with Spurs’ goalless blank at Burnley, has opened up a nine-point gap between the north London rivals with seven games to go.

“St Totteringham’s Day” is the date Tottenham can no longer mathematically come above Arsenal and is normally celebrated in April or May.

On Saturday, Wenger said it was important to focus on "what we can master” after dismissing hopes that the Gunners could win the league this year. 

He said: “You can see by the number of points we have made that when we have everyone fit, we have the quality of fighting for the top. 

"For us to win the title now means we must be be perfect, and Chelsea not to be perfect. Let’s look at what we can master.”

Arsenal ran riot against Liverpool on Saturday with four “top-drawer” goals from Hector Bellerin, Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and the Premiership's player-of-the-month for March, Olivier Giroud.

Bellerin curled into the bottom corner with his left foot on 37 minutes after shimmying through the Liverpool back-line like he was Diego Maradona.

Two minutes later, Ozil sent a free-kick around the wall to wrong-foot Simon Mignolet, who minutes later was left stunned by Sanchez’s quick control and ferocious strike from outside the box. 

Jordan Henderson pulled a goal back for the visitors after Raheem Sterling was brought down in the box by Bellerin. Liverpool's hopes of snatching an unlikely draw were dashed in the 83rd minute, however, when Emre Can was sent off for two bookable offences. 

There was still time for more cheer from the home support as Giroud notched a sublime fourth from outside the box on 90 minutes.

Wenger said: “We had maybe the killer instinct and took advantage of great collective movements. We were convincing.”

He singled 20-year-old Bellerin out for particular praise, saying: “Bellerin is one of the surprises of the season. He was at Watford last year, he didn’t get the games.”

ARSENAL: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny (Gabriel, 49), Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, (Flamini, 62), Ozil (Welbeck, 73), Sanchez, Giroud. 
Substitutes not used: Gibbs, Rosicky, Walcott, Macey. 
Attendance: 60,081.