Arsenal exacted revenge as they beat Stoke City 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
The Midlands team had beaten the Londoners 3-2 just prior to Christmas, but they were never in this match.
Arsenal should have doubled their number in a one-sided affair, which will please Arsenal boss, Arsene Wenger, and horrify his counterpart, Mark Hughes.
Arsenal welcomed back German playmaker, Mesut Ozil, who started on the bench. Joining him there was Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny, who was dropped after recent poor performances and his subsequent fine for smoking.
The Gunners have scored in every home league match so far, a feat only matched by Chelsea and Manchester United.
They were to keep that stat going with comfort on Sunday.
It would be fair to say that Arsenal should have been out of sight by the end of the first half, as it was they went in 2-0 up with the rich promise of more.
Alexis Sanchez – who else – forced Stoke keeper, Asmir Begovic, into a fine save.
The keeper was also to deny Tomas Rosicky.
It was just a matter of time before rampant Arsenal scored, with young midfielder, Francis Coquelin, to the fore.
Such was their dominance.
The opening goal came after six minutes when an Alexis cross found an unmarked Laurent Koscielny, who nodded home from eight yards out.
Home right-back, Mathieu Debuchy, was substituted for Hector Bellerin after the France defender clashed with Marko Arnautovic and crashed into the advertising hoardings
Thereafter, it was Begovic against Arsenal, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain firing wide and the big ‘keeper keeping out an Olivier Giroud thunderbolt.
The hosts went two up in the 33rd minute when Alexis, having won the ball himself in the heart of the Stoke half, outfoxed two defenders and fired past Begovic’s big right glove.
Save for two Peter Crouch efforts, Stoke were impotent.
Hughes brought on Marc Muniesa and Steve Sidwell in response to his team’s tepid display.
He needn’t have bothered.
Alexis made it 3-0 four minutes after the break after his weak free-kick was fumbled by Begovic and dribbled over the line.
If this fixture had been a boxing match, it would have been stopped to save the visitors from further punishment.
Alexis continued to be a monster as he terrorised the City back line.
The Chile star set sub Walcott up but the England man rushed his finished and blazed wide.
Ozil also had a great chance with a more difficult chance, however he fired over when clean through.
Arsenal moved up to fifth in the table with this win.
Sunday’s success gives them a boost prior to next Sunday’s visit to champions, Manchester City.
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