Walcott: Giroud a dream to play with

Garde is understood to have grave concerns over the lack of goals in his squad, admitting they are “not strong enough offensively” and has identified the signing of at least one new forward as a priority. “A solid hat trick completed their great escape in the Champions League before he scored again at the weekend to keep their Premier League title challenge firmly on track”.

Arsenal beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Villa Park to temporarily move into first place in the Premier League table.

The former Arsenal striker also spoke of the importance of Mathieu Flamini to Arsene Wenger’s side given their current injury woes. Arsenal didn’t even need to get into top gear to win. Arsenal’s season has had a distinctly “Arsenal” feel to it at times this season.

I said back in September when Villa were still [1.95] to go down that Tim Sherwood had been left with an impossible job after losing the spine of his team in the summer.

“He’s changed us completely in that back four”.

With their first real attack the Gunners were awarded a penalty, but it was referee Kevin Friend’s actions that caused some controversy.

Drake scored 124 goals in 167 appearances for the Gunners between 1934 and 1945, and won two league titles and a FA Cup with the club. Seven minutes before the break, Arsenal doubled their lead. Demand the ball, demand someone passes the ball to you and show up. The England striker’s defence splitting pass was latched onto by Özil. It was also Özil’s 13th assist of the season. Before his recent scoring run, the Frenchman was known more for his hairstyle, numerous tattoos, endorsing Hugo Boss fragrances and the fact that he was named the English Premier League’s (EPL) sexiest player.

Leandro Bacuna ballooned over after goalkeeper Petr Cech flapped at a cross but Arsenal was comfortable and mostly toyed with its hosts. Substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain went close for a third Arsenal goal, but by then Wenger’s men were already home and hosed.

It’s time to land the big, final shot that consigns Villa on the path towards the Championship. Wenger knows that too, but here he was focusing on the latest win happy.

He said: “I believe he’s at the top of his game. Maybe we were lucky with one or two opportunities for Villa, but overall it was a controlled performance”. To concede an early goal – we did not want that.

“I believe that he’s at the top of his game; he is questioned sometimes but the numbers get people to realise that he is a good player”, declared Wenger.