First half strikes from Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey saw Arsenal cruise to a 2-0 win over a struggling Aston Villa to temporarily occupy top spot on the Premier League table.
The Villans got off to the worst possible start inside 10 minutes when Alan Hutton dragged down Theo Walcott inside the penalty area and, after a slight delay, a reluctant Kevin Friend finally pointed to the spot.
Up stepped the in-form Giroud who confidently tucked away the spot kick to score for the fifth consecutive match against Villa. It was also the Frenchman’s 50th Premier League goal – only Thierry Henry and Ian Wright have got there in quicker fashion.
Ramsey then doubled the Gunners’ lead with half time in sight when he started and finished a wonderful counter-attacking move, assisted by who else but Mesut Ozil who laid it on a platter for the Welshman. The German is now up to 13 assists, five more then his nearest rival in any of the top five European leagues.
Despite the doom and gloom that once again assembled around Villa Park, it was a much improved performance from the home side in the second half, though they squandered a number of good chances to drag themselves back into the match.
Overall, it was a professional performance from Arsene Wenger’s side who barely got out of second gear all afternoon. It was a special afternoon for goalkeeper Petr Cech who registered his 169th clean sheet, meaning he is now equal with David James for the most shut-outs in Premier League history.
For Villa, their miserable season continues as Remi Garde faces an enormous task of ensuring the Midlands club’s Premier League status next season. They currently sit eight points adrift from safety and without a win since the opening day.
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