Alexis Sanchez stars as Arsenal push hard for the Champions League places with impressive Stoke win

Stoke City 1 Arsenal 4: Sanchez, Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil scored the goals for the Gunners, who kept their slim hopes of finishing in the top-four alive with a confident performance

Ozil and Sanchez swung the game in Arsenal's favour (Getty)

Two goals from Olivier Giroud helped maintain Arsenal’s unlikely late-season charge towards yet another year of Champions League football and turned the attention, and pressure, firmly on Jurgen Klopp and rivals Liverpool.

With the future of Arsene Wenger still unknown, and supporters apparently divided on the issue, the Arsenal manager has now placed Liverpool, in action at West Ham on Sunday and just one point above the Gunners, firmly in his crosshairs for a top-four finish.

There were moments of anxiety at the bet365 Stadium, particularly in the second half when Stoke substitute Peter Crouch reduced arrears to 2-1 and the home side finally looked capable of troubling the hosts.

But two goals in four minutes killed off any hope of a fightback and illustrated the confidence and form that Wenger’s side has somehow found in the closing stages of a trying campaign.

A half of almost complete Arsenal dominance ended with the Gunners picking apart the Stoke defence with clinical efficiency to set up Giroud for his 11th goal of the season on 41 minutes.

Francis Coquelin picked out the run of overlapping wing-back Hector Bellerin inside a defender and his low cross eluded the lunges of a couple of Stoke players to pick out the unmarked Giroud two yards from goal.

Giroud put Arsenal in front (Arsenal FC via Getty) (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

And any doubt about the game’s outcome looked to have disappeared when Arsenal doubled their lead through Mesut Ozil on 54 minutes with a stunningly simple but effective goal.

The German started the move with a short pass to Alexis Sanchez and, as Stoke failed to follow Ozil’s run, he darted into the area, collected the return pass and slipped the ball past Butland from six yards.

But, two goals behind, Stoke finally showed some attacking intent of their own, aided by Mark Hughes, perhaps belatedly, throwing on Crouch and Said Berahino for a more direct approach.

After 67 minutes, the lively Marko Arnautovic darted down the left and his centre was met by the fast-arriving Crouch who headed emphatically home at the near post. Although replays later showed that he had used his hand to punch the ball beyond Cech.

Crouch appeared to handle the ball into the net (Getty)

The atmosphere at Stoke’s bet365 Stadium lifted dramatically as the home support sensed the chance of an equaliser.

But Arsenal showed resolve and took just nine minutes to restore their two-goal cushion and secure a fifth victory in their last six games.

Able to pick off Stoke on the counter-attack, Bellerin again took up an advanced position and found Sanchez in the area for the Chilean forward to score, in off the far post via a deflection from defender Ryan Shawcross.

There appeared little hope for Stoke and Giroud’s second goal 10 minutes from time ensured that was the case as he again converted from close range, this time six yards out.

Ozil neatly lofted the ball over Butland to double the lead (Getty)

Ozil picked out the run of substitute Aaron Ramsey who created room in the Stoke area to cross from the by-line for the Frenchman to claim his 12th goal of the league campaign.

A fifth victory in six league games now hands Wenger a realistic aim of qualifying for the Champions League for a remarkable 21st consecutive season although performances such as this, of course, have simply begged the question why it has taken so long for the Gunners to hit their stride.

That was presumably the motivating factor in a fly-past made early in the game by an aircraft carrying another “Wenger out” banner - one which drew a response from the supporters actually inside the stadium who shouted their support for the veteran manager.

Well they might, at least on this performance.

Aside from a 10-minute spell either side of the Stoke goal, a sequence that started with Stoke striker Mate Diouf somehow missing an open goal from an Arnautovic cross, there was little to trouble the Gunners.

Stoke keeper Jack Butland tipped over and early header from Shkodran Mustafi and Nacho Monreal struck the post with a header from a Bellerin cross before the scoring started.

In the period of Stoke pressure at the other end, Petr Cech kept out a set-piece header from Bruno Martins Indi and smothered a Berahino drive.

But the deadly manner in which Arsenal killed off that fightback meant that the visitors were the more likely team to add to the five goals scored.

Butland had to dive sharply to keep out a shot from Ramsey, as the Welsh international made his impact felt off the bench, and the England keeper was equally solid in denying another Arsenal replacement, Theo Walcott, in the closing stages.

Wenger was jubilant to finally get a win away to Stoke (Getty)

After the match, Wenger insisted he was not perturbed with yet another 'Wenger Out' banner than was flown above the stadium during the match, calling on the Frenchman to resign.

“When you say fans, who do you mean? The rich ones?” said Wenger when asked for his reaction to “fans” displaying the banner.

“Look, I am paid to do my job for the club I love and I will do that as long as I’m here with full commitment. I’m not influenced by that at all, all I do is give my best.

“We have 69 points today so let’s make 72 on Tuesday and after that I will give my best for as long as I’m here for the values of this club and for the club.

“I want to focus on football and the rest is less important. I’m not in politics. I’m in sport, I love sport and give my 24 hours a day for what I love. I am in a public job, some agree with me, some not.”