Classy Arsenal easily past dour VilliansArsenal 3 (Gibbs 16, Walcott 25, Arteta 90) Aston Villa 0

Goals from Kieran Gibbs, Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta gave Arsenal victory over Aston Villa and took their winning run to seven Premier League matches.
Gibbs exposed some poor defending and goalkeeping from Villa to put the hosts in front with a crisp low finish.
Arsenal were dominating their opponents and doubled the lead when the excellent Walcott collected Alex Song's lofted ball and slotted past Shay Given.
Arteta wrapped up the match in stoppage time with a stunning free-kick.
It was another important result for the Gunners, moving them three points above fourth-placed Tottenham - who drew 0-0 with Chelsea earlier in the day - and continuing their superb upturn in form.
For much of the season their hopes of a top-four finish looked in serious doubt, but that now looks comfortably within their grasp.
Their day did not start so well as centre-back Laurent Koscielny pulled out of the side after feeling a knee injury during the warm-up.
More trouble loomed when his replacement, Johan Djourou, required lengthy treatment after being hit in the face by Emile Heskey's arm.
But the Swiss recovered and, aside from a Marc Albrighton drive that sailed over shortly after the re-start, Arsenal were in total control.
Villa had no answer to the pace of wingers Walcott and Gervinho, and allowed Arsenal far too much time and space to pick passes to the pair.
There was an early warning when Given parried Walcott's strike after a sharp exchange between Walcott, Bacary Sagna and Robin van Persie.
Villa, who remain three places above the relegation zone, were desperately lacking the defensive leadership of injured captain Richard Dunne - never more so than when Arsenal opened the scoring.
Alan Hutton, Stilyan Petrov and Chris Herd stood still as Gibbs collected Gervinho's pass and fired in an effort that Given should have saved.
Walcott then skilfully met Thomas Vermaelen's diagonal ball and ghosted behind Stephen Warnock before Carlos Cueller arrived with vital clearance.
Villa had lost only one of their previous eight away games and they briefly threatened when Stephen Ireland broke clear and crossed towards Heskey, only for Vermaelen to intercept.
Arsenal were swiftly back on the offensive and their reward came when Song found Walcott and he stepped inside Cuellar to side-foot home.
Given saved well from a Van Persie header and Arteta's drive, while Warnock brilliantly nodded Van Persie's goalbound shot over the bar.
The second half was more even, with Djourou needing to be alert when Albrighton crossed for Gabriel Agbonlahor, while Song headed over and Tomas Rosicky tested Given from distance.
Both managers used their full quota of substitutes and one of Villa's, Andreas Weimann, benefited from an error by one of Arsenal's, Andre Santos, but dragged wide when clean through.
Arteta then had the final word, producing a magnificent set-piece with virtually the final kick.

Classy United put 8 past Gunners Manchester United 8 (Wellbeck 22, Young 28, 90, Rooney 41, 64pen, 82, Nani 67, Park Ji-Sung 70) Arsenal 2 (Walcott 45, van Persie 74)

Rooney shows Young the art to the perfect penalty during Uniteds 8-2 mauling of Arsenal today at Old Trafford

Manchester United inflicted total humiliation on Arsenal and their embattled manager Arsene Wenger with a brutal victory at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson's Premier League champions responded in spectacular fashion to Manchester City's outstanding 5-1 win at Spurs by returning to the top of the table with a result that represented Arsenal's worst defeat since 1896.

Wenger sent out a makeshift side depleted by injuries and suspensions - but even this cannot excuse the manner in which they were outclassed in all parts of the pitch and swept aside with such ease by United.

Wayne Rooney was United's inspiration with the sixth hat-trick of his Old Trafford career, but Ashley Young also made his mark with two stunning goals. Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-sung were the other scorers.

Theo Walcott reduced United's three-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time but Robin van Persie's strike late in the second half-represented no measure of consolation for a dispirited, broken Arsenal.

United keeper David de Gea distinguished himself with a fine penalty save from Van Persie moments after Welbeck had opened the scoring - and in a game of almost unrelenting misery for Arsenal, teenager Carl Jenkinson ensured they have failed to end a game with 11 players in any of their league games this season when he was sent off.

Old Trafford was understandably exultant at the conclusion of such a carnival performance but Wenger now faces defining days of his Arsenal reign before the transfer window closes on Wednesday.

This result underscores the gulf that has opened up between United and Arsenal and Wenger will now seek to address the weaknesses in his squad and replace the departed Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri.

Ferguson's faith in the team that won so convincingly against Tottenham was rewarded with another thrilling attack-minded performance.

Arsenal's uncertainty was partly explained by the unfamiliar make-up of their team, but the flaws were swiftly exposed by the manner in which United took the lead. Anderson's lofted pass was inventive but Arsenal's failure to react was ominous for what lay ahead, allowing Welbeck to head past Wojciech Szczesny.

Van Persie then squandered an instant opportunity to equalise after referee Howard Webb awarded a penalty when Walcott tangled with Jonny Evans in the area. De Gea has had a mixed start to his Old Trafford career but he was engulfed by his team-mates as he dived to his right to make a fine save.

And United ensured Arsenal were punished heavily as Young added the second after 28 minutes. Young found space just outside the area and curled a perfect finish high beyond Szczesny's grasp at the Stretford End.

Welbeck's game was cut short by a hamstring injury - but there was no respite for Arsenal as Rooney worked a free-kick routine with Young to send a 20-yard free-kick into the top corner as the interval approached.

Walcott halted some of United's momentum when he took advantage of slack marking to shoot beneath De Gea in first-half injury time.

It made little difference amid the carnage of the second half as Arsenal were torn apart amid a torrent of goals, near misses and saves from the desperately exposed Szczesny.

Arsenal survived until the 64th minute when they were undone by another piece of Rooney creation at a set-piece, again linking with Young before dispatching the finish past the motionless Arsenal keeper.

It was the breaking point for Arsenal and they spent the remainder of game in a constant state of siege. Rooney was the creator for Nani with the pass that gave the Portuguese the opportunity to send a flamboyant chipped finish over Szczesny for United's fifth.

With the Gunners in disarray, Park marked his arrival as substitute by lashing home an unstoppable finish before Van Persie briefly interrupted the one-way flow towards Arsenal's goal by beating De Gea.

It barely seemed possible for matters to get worse for Arsenal, but the agony increased when Jenkinson was sent off after receiving his second yellow card for fouling Javier Hernandez as he raced clear.

Rooney completed his thrilling treble with a penalty eight minutes from time after Walcott fouled Patrice Evra.

And United completed the scoring with their eighth in injury time, Young once again showing his eye for the spectacular with another curling shot.

Wenger cut a despairing figure as he walked back to the dressing room at the final whistle after one of the darkest days of his career.

Manchester United: 01-De Gea, 03-Evra, 04-Jones, 06-Evans, 08-Anderson, 10-Rooney, 12-Smalling, 17-Nani, 18-Young, 19-Welbeck, 23-Cleverley SUBS USED: 11-Giggs, 13-Park Ji-Sung, 14-Hernandez

Arsenal: 13-Szczesny, 06-Koscielny, 07-Rosicky, 10-van Persie, 14-Walcott, 16-Ramsey, 20-Djourou, 23-Arshavin, 25-Jenkinson, 30-Traore, 39-Coquelin SUBS USED: 15-Oxlade-Chamberlain, 29-Chamakh, 46-Lansbury

6 goal thriller that could see both teams loseTottenham Hotspur 3 (Van der Vaart 7, 70pen, Huddlestone 44) Arsenal 3 (Walcott 5, Nasri 12, Van Persie 40)

A flurry of five first half goals lit up the north London derby as Tottenham and Arsenal played out an attacking and thrilling game which provided a glut of goals at White Hart Lane.
Goals from Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri and Robin Van Persie for the Gunners and Rafael Van Der Vaart and Tom Huddlestone for Spurs were enough to seal what could be the game of the season in the Premier League.
The draw, in reality, doesn't help either side in their respective aims as Arsenal fail to make the most of Manchester United drawing on Tuesday and Spurs needed the win to keep the pressure on Manchester City, but those in attendance will have not have thought a fantastic display from both sides.
The importance of tonight’s game was paramount for both sides. Tottenham were coming off the back of their exit from the Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid and Arsenal were keen to expel the Liverpool result from their memory.
Arsenal came out of the traps with purpose and positivity. The game begun in a style often expected of local derbies, fast, fluid and full of endeavour and within 5 minutes the opening goal had rocked White Hart Lane. Cesc Fabregas, so often a tormentor of Spurs, made the most of a Tom Huddlestone error to feed Theo Walcott. The through ball left Michael Dawson limbo and Walcott did the rest with a burst of speed and a deft right foot finish.
The frantic tempo of the game continued and within three minutes Spurs had wiped out the advantage. A long, looping pass from Vedran Corluka found Rafael Van der Vaart who controlled magnificently and hammered beyond Wojciech Szczesny to level things up.
Arsenal though once again showed the undeniable quality they possess, but often, frustratingly fail to impose. Samir Nasri was left unchecked and this flaw in the Tottenham defence was punished as the Frenchman made Gomes look ordinary as he beat him low to his right.
Theo Walcott had a chance to increase the lead but his low drive took the lightest of deflections of the right hand of Gomes to slide wide of the right hand post.
Walcott’s influence on the game stretched to more than just scoring the goals.  With a terrific chipped cross on the byline, Walcott crafted a goal for Robin Van Persie who made it 3-1.
Credit to Tottenham for exhibiting the tenacity required to keep this close and once again Harry Redknapp’s side bounced back through a Tom Huddlestone goal which atoned for his earlier error. A header from Peter Crouch was poorly cleared by Fabregas and Huddlestone smashed the ball back into the danger area leaving Szczesny a forest of legs to look through as he tried in vain to deal with the shot.
The second half didn't slow down and there were chances aplenty as both sides continued hell for leather.  Van Der Vaart had a chance for a second but it wasn't until substitute Aaron Lennons speed beat Szczesny and the Polish 'keeper brought down the winger to give Spurs the chance to level it up once more.
Van Der Vaart stepped up to the spot with confidence and hammered the ball in to give Spurs a way back and deal another blow to Arsenal.
Tottenham had more chances to take the lead with Modric forcing a brilliant save from Szczesny and Peter Crouch heading over the bar. Neither side was willing to give an inch as both were fighting to hold supremacy in their patch.
The game will be remembered for many years as the goals, commitment and sheer entertainment were something not likely to be seen anytime soon. But the truth remains that both sides needed to win this encounter and because they failed to do this, both Manchester sides would have been very pleased with the result.


LINE UPS:


Tottenham Hotspur: 01-Gomes, 03-Bale, 06-Huddlestone, 09-Pavlyuchenko, 11-Van der Vaart, 13-Gallas, 14-Modric, 15-Crouch, 20-Dawson, 22-Corluka, 32-Assou-Ekotto SUBS USED: 04-Kaboul, 07-Lennon, 30-Sandro
Arsenal: 53-Szczesny, 02-Diaby, 03-Sagna, 04-Fabregas, 06-Koscielny, 08-Nasri, 10-Van Persie, 14-Walcott, 17-Song, 20-Djourou, 22-Clichy SUBS USED: 19-Wilshere, 23-Arshavin, 52-Bendtner