Arsenal have cruised to a 4-1 win over Liverpool at the Emirates in the Premier League this afternoon, picking up a seventh league victory in a row, while the visitors finished the match a man short.
© Getty Images
The home side threatened to open the scoring just a couple of minutes into the tie when Santi Cazorla was left with just Simon Mignolet to beat, but his low strike was punched clear by the Belgian.
Aaron Ramsey also tested the Liverpool keeper early on after finding himself clean through on goal, but Mignolet parried it before Kolo Toure made the clearance to stop Cazorla capitalising on the rebound.
© Getty Images
Despite the bright start from the hosts, it was Liverpool who looked the more likely as the first half progressed, with Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho both getting shots away, but neither could force David Ospina into action.
Sterling continued to cause problems for the Arsenal defence as he picked the ball up in midfield before running at the home side's goal, only to rush his finish, before the winger crossed the ball in towards Jordan Henderson.
© Getty Images
Liverpool were punished for not making the most of their chances though as Hector Bellerin broke the deadlock shortly before half time, making the most of a mistake from Alberto Moreno to curl the ball into the bottom corner.
The Gunners needed just a few minutes to double their lead as Mesut Ozil was fouled just outside the box, setting up the German to whip the ball around the wall and inside the left post directly from the set piece.
© Getty Images
Arsene Wenger's side kept pushing as the half-time whistle approached, and added a third in eight minutes just before the interval when Alexis Sanchez got the better of Toure to leave himself with space on the edge of the box, allowing him to smash it down the middle.
The hosts could have extended their lead further early in the second half when Ramsey and Cazorla linked up on the edge of the box before the ball was cleared as far as Olivier Giroud, but the French international's finish was straight at Mignolet.
© Getty Images
Arsenal continued to threaten, with Giroud getting the better of Toure to get a header away, but once again Mignolet was ready to claim it.
The visitors started to see more of the ball as the match headed into the final half-hour, but Coutinho's effort from 25 yards out ended up well wide.
Brendan Rodgers's side wanted a penalty when Sterling went down under a challenge from Bellerin, but Anthony Taylor was not interested in the visiting team's appeals.
Emre Can also got forward as Liverpool looked for a way back into the match, attempting to slice the ball in from a corner, but the young German's finish did not trouble Ospina.
Bellerin was involved again with 15 minutes to go as he challenged Sterling inside the penalty area, and this time the referee awarded the spot kick.
Henderson stepped up to take it, and saw Ospina get a hand to his strike, but there was just enough on the ball to carry it into the back of the net.
Liverpool's hopes of completing the comeback were dealt a blow with five minutes to go as Can collided with Danny Welbeck, earning the midfielder a second booking and leaving the visitors a man short.
© Getty Images
Cazorla came close to making it four as the match headed into stoppage time, but his low strike from a Nacho Monreal ball forward was kept out by the post.
The Gunners did restore their three-goal cushion late on though as Giroud gathered from a Sanchez delivery, sliding the ball into the bottom corner.
The result moves Arsenal up to second in the table, four points behind league leaders Chelsea, while Liverpool remain fifth.
Sian Cowper
