Arsenal scored six second-half goals to run out 7-3 winners over Newcastle United in a remarkable match at the Emirates Stadium this afternoon.
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The hosts took the lead in the 20th minute when Theo Walcott beat the offside trap before cutting inside and curling his effort past Tim Krul and into the bottom corner.
The Magpies found a deserved equaliser right on the stroke of half time when Demba Ba's free kick deflected off the back of Jack Wilshere and past Wojciech Szczesny in the Arsenal goal.
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Arsenal regained their lead just six minutes after the restart, however, when Santi Cazorla fed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who proceeded to fire his effort in from just outside the box.
Newcastle pegged their hosts back once again just before the hour mark as Gabriel Obertan's low cross into the box was tapped in at the back post by Sylvain Marveaux for his first league goal for the club.
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The pendulum of momentum swung back in Arsenal's favour just five minutes later as they regained the lead when Lukas Podolski bundled Wilshere's looping cross in from close range.
This time the lead lasted just five minutes, however, as Ba thumped in his second of the game from Marveaux's cross to make it 3-3.
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The Gunners took the lead for a fourth time four minutes later courtesy of Walcott's second. The England international picked up Kieran Gibbs's loose cross before finding the top corner of Krul's goal.
They managed to put daylight between themselves and Newcastle five minutes from time when Walcott whipped in a fine cross to Olivier Giroud, who powered his header home.
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Giroud then doubled his individual tally to seal the three points for Arsenal, collecting possession in the Magpies' penalty area before smashing his shot past Krul to make it 6-3.
Walcott put the icing on the cake for the Gunners in the 93rd minute, racing through the defence before dinking the ball over Krul to complete a fine hat-trick.
Giroud came within inches of becoming the second hat-trick hero of the day with virtually the last kick of the game, but his effort from Walcott's cross came back off the post.
Barney Corkhill
