Arsenal vs Newcastle player ratings: Santi Cazorla and Olivier Giroud scored two each - were either of them star man at the Emirates?
Arsenal 4 Newcastle 1
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal dispelled concerns over their injury list and fans booing Arsene Wenger after the defeat to Stoke with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at home to Newcastle.
The Gunners may have started with right-back Mathieu Debuchy in the centre of defence and teenager Hector Bellerin on the right, but they were never troubled by the Toon, who entered the game in fantastic form.
Arsenal controlled the game from almost the first whistle and it was Olivier Giroud who broke the deadlock after 15 minutes.
Bellerin won the ball and gave it to Giroud, who slid Alexis Sanchez in down the right. The Chilean provided a beautiful cross for Giroud, who had continued his run, to power in the opener with a great header.
It was all-square at half-time but Arsenal were completely on top before they finished the game as a contest with two goals in four minutes.
First Santi Cazorla, who was excellent throughout latched onto a Sanchez pass and produced a fantastic chip over onrushing youngster Jak Alnwick. Then Giroud scored his second, applying the most delicate of touches from a low cross from the right-hand side.
Ayoze Perez nodded in a free-kick to make it 3-1 but Newcastle never threatened to come back into the match and Cazorla scored his second of the game with a superb 'Panenka' penalty two minutes before the end.
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