Arsenal bounced back in true style this afternoon after their midweek loss to Bayern Munich to convincingly beat a very standoffish Sunderland in a display that showed the Gunners at their one-touch football best.
Arsenal were without Mesut Özil for the match with the young German being rested with a bruised thigh, and it was not as if Arsenal missed him as the Gunners took the lead in the 5th minute following a surge by Wilshere into the box and while Sunderland’s David Bardsley got a touch on the ball Olivier Giroud was there to calmly put the ball into the back of the net.
Arsenal continued to pressure with Podolski testing Mannone with a shot from 30-yards that forced the Italian to tip it over the bar, and then from the resulting corner Per Mertesacker came close just heading over.
Arsenal’s second goal was the result of a terrible blunder that saw Santiago Vergini make a careless back pass to the keeper that allowed Giroud to nip and hit a first time shot through the keeper’s legs and into the net.
The third goal was Arsenal playing the kind of game that makes them look like world beaters when just before the half-time whistle Rosicky played some one touch passing with Wilshere and Cazorla before a delicate touch from Giroud put the Czech player through to calmly chip over the out rushing Mannone.
Sunderland made some needed changes at the break with Emanuele Giaccherini and Sebastian Larsson coming on in place of Adam Johnson and Jozy Altidore.
Despite making a spirited start to the second half with Borini testing Szczęsny with a powerful shot from an odd angle the Black Cats never looked like troubling the home team leaving Koscielny all alone to meet a Santi Carzola cross to head the ball down for the Gunners fourth goal.
Now 4-0 up Arsenal took their foot of the gas and just cruised through the rest of the match except for allowing Giaccherini to grab a conciliatory goal when Szczęsny punched a free-kick clear only to the Italian who steadied the ball before smashing the ball low into the back of the net.
Following the win Arsenal remains just one point behind Chelsea on the Premiership leader board in second place.
You can hear what manager Arsene Wenger thought of the match in his post-match interview below.
