Arsenal moved up several steps today on the English Premier League table, five points adrift from leaders Manchester City, who again won their fifth successive game, thrashing AFC Bournemouth 4-0.
Nigeria’s Kelechi Iheanacho, Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Guendogan all scored for City. The visitors were completely outclassed by City players who had 64 per cent of possession and 12 shots at the goal. In contrast Bournemouth had only one shot at the goal.
Arsenal on their part beat Hull City 4-1, in a match watched by 22,536 people that saw Chilean Alexis Sanchez miss a penalty but record a brace away at KCOM Stadium.
Theo Walcott and new signing Ganit Xhaka ensured the match was safely out of reach of the hard fighting Hull who were reduced to ten men in the 41st minute, after a handball by Hull’s Jake Livermore inside the box.
Sanchez stepped up to play the resulting penalty, but kicked the ball into the waiting hands of Goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
Sanchez had tapped in the first goal in the 17th minute, after a shot by Walcott was parried by Jakupovic.
Despite pressure by Arsenal and 63 per cent of possession, scoreline remained 1-0 at half time. The difference would have been made by Sanchez if he had scored the penalty awarded.
Ten minutes in the second half, Walcott scored Arsenal’s second goal, after he and Alex Iwobi played a 1-2.
Hull were not giving up yet as they stepped up the attack. Abel Hernandez was replaced by Dieumerci Mbokani in a tactical substitution and this appeared to have added some pep to the hosts attack.
Two minutes after, Petr Cech committed a serious foul against Mbokani inside the box, when the latter rushed to collect a pass by Ryan Mason. Cech got a yellow for his dangerous move and Robert Snodgrass who stepped up to play the kick made no mistake at all. He completely beat Cech who dived to the opposite direction of the in-coming ball.
Hull’s joy after the 79th minute goal was short-lived as Sanchez slotted in Arsenal’s third goal. Walcott had tried to score, but the keeper parried his effort on Sanchez’ path, who coolly collected the ball and dribbled several players to slam the ball into the net.
But the best goal of the game came from Xhaka, who got one from outside the box with a long range shot.
In other matches of the day, defending champions Leicester beat Burnley 3-0, while West Brom also compounded West Ham’s misery by beating them 4-2.