Five things we learned as Arsenal turn the heat up on Liverpool in top-four race

There is only a point separating the Gunners and a return to the Champions League places

Giroud opened the scoring for the Gunners (Getty)

Arsenal are well and truly back in with a chance of stealing a Champions League place from under the noses of Liverpool after their hard-fought victory over traditional bogey team Stoke City.

Olivier Giroud gave Arsene Wenger’s side a first-half lead before Mesut Ozil latched on to a lovely Alexis Sanchez pass to double the lead. Sanchez then got one of his own before Giroud grabbed his second of the game.

But what did the 4-1 win at the Bet365 Stadium tell us?

Where is Ramsey?

One of the key cogs of Arsenal’s new three-at-the-back system has been that Arsene Wenger seems to have finally been able to accommodate Aaron Ramsey in his best position. Against both Manchester United and Southampton – the two games where the Gunners appeared to have got their season back on track – he was one of the stars, yet he was relegated to a place among the substitutes against Stoke, a must-win game. It seems a curious decision from Wenger given how the Welshman has struggled this season and even more curious if it is a decision made to try and protect him. Ramsey has endured torrid abuse from Stoke fans after Ryan Shawcross broke his leg. He was outstanding when he finally came on for Sanchez.

Ramsey was dropped to the bench by Arsenal (Getty)

Pressure could grow on Hughes

Mark Hughes has spent a vast amount of money in trying to transform Stoke from Tony Pulis’ almost rugby-style tactics but to not much league improvement. Stoke look set to miss out on a top-half finish again and actually started the day only six points clear of the relegation zone. No doubt Hughes will require from investment over the summer but if there is no drastic improvement at the start of next season then the Welshman could well be one of the first managerial casualties. Hughes admitted that record signing Gianelli Imbula “hadn’t worked out” and he cannot afford for more big-money signings to go the same way.

Stoke are set for a bottom-half finish (Getty)

Monreal is key

In this new system deployed by Wenger, the wing-backs become two of the most important players in the team and Nacho Monreal is becoming more and more of an attacking influence. He struck the post in the first half and had a handful of other chances too. If Wenger stays this summer and persists with the Chelsea blueprint, investing in a better, more attacking left-sided wing-back is essential. Monreal is a good defender but that is where his strength lies and this system needs a more attack-minded player filling that position. Hector Bellerin on the other flank showed just how important it is to have a player of this quality when he crossed for Olivier Giroud’s opener.

Monreal struck the post in the first half (Getty)

Giroud is actually important

Yes, he has been branded nothing more than a target man but with 14 Premier League goals this season now – and important ones at that – Olivier Giroud has shown that he deserves to stay at the Emirates for another season. He has had a more reduced role this season with the bench being more of a home to him that the starting line-up, but his impact is, if anything, greater from there. He offers Arsenal another option and against the muscle of defences like Stoke’s the Frenchman is well at home. He is rash at times and is not the most clinical of finishers, but even in a game where he was pretty much non-existent, he has managed to have a big say in the result.

Giroud scored his 11th and 12th Premier League goal of the season (Getty)

Pressure on Liverpool

Arsenal’s win means the pressure is firmly back on Liverpool ahead of their trip to West Ham on Sunday. The Gunners sit just one point behind Liverpool in fifth but after Sunday’s game will once again have a game in hand over them. Anything short of a win for Jurgen Klopp’s side will take their fate out of their own hands and could potentially leave them requiring city rivals Everton to do them a huge favour at the Emirates on the final day of the season. Arsenal can only keep doing what they’re doing and, as cliché as it sounds, focus on the next game.