Arsenal made it 12 games without a loss this afternoon courtesy of a 4-1 win over Norwich City at the Emirates Stadium.
Jack Wilshere opened the scoring for the hosts, slotting home a first-time effort from close range after a fine passing move from the Gunners which he himself began in his own half.
Mesut Ozil made it 2-0 after the break, flicking a header into the far corner from Olivier Giroud's cross.
Jonny Howson pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 70th minute with a low strike from the edge of the area, but any hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Aaron Ramsey danced past a number of tackles in the area before coolly firing past John Ruddy.
Ramsey then turned provider when he hooked Thomas Rosicky's pass into the path of Ozil, who produced a controlled finish for his second goal of the day.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the entertaining 90 minutes that saw Arsenal regain their spot at the top of the Premier League table.
Match statistics:
Arsenal:
Shots 20
On target 11
Possession 57%
Corners 10
Fouls 8
Norwich City:
Shots 12
On target 6
Possession 43%
Corners 1
Fouls 7
Was the result fair?
The result was fair, but the scoreline was probably a little harsh on Norwich. Arsenal were the better side for much of the first period, but the Canaries rallied at the end of the half and were actually on top in the second 45 minutes when Ozil made it 2-0 to the hosts. Arsenal's two late goals made the result look a lot more comfortable than it was, but there is no doubt that they deserved to win the match.
Arsenal's performance
When they were firing on all cylinders, they looked unstoppable. The first goal was one that any of Arsene Wenger's previous Arsenal sides would have been proud of, while the other three were also the result of fine play from the hosts rather than mistakes by the visitors. There were spells when they seemed to get a little complacent and the prospect of Norwich getting back into the match was a very real one until they killed the game off late on, but overall Wenger will be delighted with another good performance from his side. At their best, it is hard to think of anyone better in the league right now.
Norwich City's performance
Just like against Chelsea, the scoreline belies Norwich's performance. They did not roll over in this match despite the odds being stacked heavily against them and even managed to outplay the Gunners at times at the end of the first half and in the second half. Defensively, there are improvements to be made as Ruddy needed to be in fine form to keep the score down to four, but overall manager Chris Hughton won't be too disappointed by the performance, regardless of the result. There are positives to take from their display today, but they do still need to improve if they are to escape the relegation zone.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Mesut Ozil: This is a tough one as Ozil, Ramsey, Giroud and Wilshere all contributed a similar amount to the victory for Arsenal. In truth, any of them could have been named man of the match, but Ozil just nicks it for his two-goal haul. His first was a fine header, which is something the German is not renowned for, while his second was a brilliantly controlled finish that capped off another good day for his side. His record-breaking transfer fee is looking more and more like a bargain every week.
Biggest gaffe
For many footballers, the ultimate embarrassment on the field is an air shot. That unfortunate fate was suffered by Robert Snodgrass today as he completely missed the ball when going for a shot from almost 30 yards out. The fans responded with ironic cheers as Snodgrass was dispossessed and Arsenal launched another attack.
Referee performance
Lee Probert had a decent game today, although there weren't many major decisions to be made. Perhaps the biggest of the lot came in second-half injury time when Ozil went down under Wes Hoolahan's tackle in the box, but Probert waved away claims for a penalty. It was a close one that could have gone either way, but the full-time result means that it is a decision unlikely to be scrutinised much.
What next?
Arsenal: Today's match was the first in a potentially season-defining run of seven games in 23 days. Next up for the Gunners is a home clash against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Norwich City: Norwich will have another chance to haul themselves out of the bottom three when they face Cardiff next Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
