Arsenal comfortably beat Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon, with five different Gunners players getting their names on the scoresheet

Published: 1 February, 2015 
By PAUL COWLING at the Emirates Stadium

Premier League
ARSENAL 5, ASTON VILLA 0 

ARSENAL proved that they can win without star man Alexis Sanchez this afternoon as they notched up their biggest victory of the season against a poor Aston Villa side.

The loss of the Chilean star, who is struggling from a hamstring strain, didn't stop the rampant Gunners, as goals from Olivier Giroud, Mesut Ozil, Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin completed a hat-trick of wins for Arsene Wenger's side. 

"With three wins in a row, it shows we are better consistently, and it also shows that out confidence levels are higher," said Wenger. 

"We have also been stronger defensively. If you don't have defensive ability, you suffer. 

"I was also pleased that we had five different scorers." 

Last season's corresponding fixture sent shockwaves around the Emirates when Villa came away with a 3-1 win. But this time, Arsenal were in no mood to lose ground in the fight for a Champions League spot, and who knows, a possible title challenge. 

"We need Chelsea to lose four, and we need to win four," added Wenger. 

It took the Gunners just eight minutes to open the scoring against Villa. Giroud ran on to a deft Ozil flick and maintained his composure to stroke the ball past Brad Guzan in the Villa goal.

The hosts, however, didn't turn their first-half dominance into more goals and suffered a scare in the 42nd minute when Andreas Weimann forced Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina into a smart save. 

On 55 minutes Ozil drilled a low shot into the bottom right-hand corner to make it 2-0, and the floodgates opened. 

Walcott swept in Arsenal's third on 62 minutes. Receiving a throw out from Ospina, the England man then exchanged passes with Cazorla before stabbing the ball past Guzan. 

"Theo is a dangerous player and an intelligent player, and just needs more match sharpness, like Ozil," beamed Wenger after seeing Walcott score his first league goal in 14 months. 

Substitute Chuba Akpom was soon in the thick of the action, winning a penalty on 74 minutes, which was comfortably dispatched by Cazorla.

Right-back Bellerin notched up a fifth for the Gunners, and his first for the club, in injury time as he confidently side-footed in from long range. 

"You don't have to hit the ball hard to score," said a delighted Wenger. "As with Hector's goal, it is all down to technique." 

ARSENAL: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Ramsey (Flamini, 76), Cazorla, Ozil, Walcott (Rosicky, 69), Giroud (Akpom, 69). 
Substitutes not used: Szczesny, Gibbs, Paulista, Chambers.
Attendance: 59,958.