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Arsenal enjoyed an easy 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday to soar to the summit of the Premier League and leave their hapless opponents rooted at rock bottom.
A landmark 50th Premier League goal from Olivier Giroud, a penalty converted four days after his Champions League hat-trick against Olympiakos Piraeus, swiftly brought more gloom to Villa Park after eight minutes.
Mesut Ozil then produced his 13th assist of the season to allow Aaron Ramsey to slot home a second goal in the 38th minute and enable Arsenal to move on to 33 points, one point clear of Manchester City and Leicester City.
Leicester have the chance to regain the leadership when they entertain Chelsea on Monday.
WHO WAS THE STAR MAN? RATINGS BELOW...
Show all 22 1 /22Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Aston Villa: Brad Guzan 6 out of 10 Precious little he could do to keep out either the Olivier Giroud or Aaron Ramsey strikes but had an otherwise decent afternoon despite the scoreline.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Alan Hutton 7 out of 10 Vented steam as his team-mates failed to show the same levels of commitment as he has become accustomed.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Jores Okore 6 out of 10 Absent for large swathes of the match and impotent against the threats of Mesut Ozil and Joel Campbell. Enduring a difficult spell in the Villa defence lately.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Joleon Lescott 5 out of 10 Posed a threat aerially in attacking positions but struggled to marshal the faster and fitter players at Arsenal’s disposal.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Leandro Bacuna 6 out of 10 Galloped forwards whenever possible and showed his menacing ability to whip the ball towards on occasion – but did so rarely.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Jordan Vertout 4 out of 10 Showed a criminal lack of desire for Arsenal’s second, allowing Mesut Ozil to break into space and find his team-mate free in space.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Carlos Sanchez 5 out of 10 Often a force for good in the centre of the field for Villa, the dangerous 29-year-old had one of his weaker displays for the struggling Villans.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Idrissa Gueye 7 out of 10 Showed the sort of desire which could have helped his side grab a goal back on another afternoon. One of the few success stories for Villa this season.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Scott Sinclair 6 out of 10 The former Swansea and Manchester City man continues to struggle to make an impact at Villa Park. Had the desire but not the luck to make his mark.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Rudy Gestede 6 out of 10 With such a distinctive and effective unique selling point, namely his aerial ability, it is a wonder the hosts didn’t try and use it more often. Lacked service
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Jordan Ayew 6 out of 10 Failed to support Rudy Gestede enough but did at least attempt to put his stamp on the game with a number of endeavoring runs.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Arsenal: Petr Cech: 7 out of 10 Other than one mildly nervous moment, fluffing his lines on a quick clearance under pressure, the former Chelsea shot-stopper had a routine day.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Hector Bellerin 7 out of 10 Exposed pockets of empty space in the Villa defence to great effect, often being a part in dangerous forays into the hosts’ half.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Per Mertesacker 7 out of 10 Dominant in the air and assured with the ball at his feet – for the most part at least – on an un-taxing afternoon.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Laurent Koscielny 7 out of 10 Often applauded among the best defenders in the Premier League in recent times, the Frenchman had little room to demonstrate his abilities with so few problems to contend with.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Nacho Monreal 7 out of 10 Advanced down the left flank well and kept possession as the hosts started to apply pressure in the second half.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Mathieu Flamini 7 out of 10 Managed the midfield battle effectively, ensuring the three points were always likely to be going back to the Emirates Stadium.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Aaron Ramsey 9 out of 10 A constant menace for the Villa backline, the Welshman deserved his goal after winning possession and sprinting forwards to apply a simple finish.
2015 The Arsenal Football Club Plc
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Joel Campbell 7 out of 10 Occasionally guilty of heavy touches of the ball, the Gunners winger merits his place merely for work-rate alone.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Mesut Ozil 8 out of 10 Continues to pull the strings as his season just gets better and better. Now earning double the assists of any other player in the Premier League, the German is invaluable.
Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Theo Walcott 7 out of 10 Won Arsenal the penalty with his sheer pace causing Alan Hutton problems and proved to be a thorn in the Scot’s side all match.
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Aston Villa 0 Arsenal 2 player ratings Olivier Giroud 8 out of 10 Carried on from that stunning hat-trick in the Champions League to become the third fastest player in Arsenal’s history to reach 50 goals.
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Villa improved in the second half as Arsenal took their foot off the gas but manager Remi Garde, who as a player was once signed by Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, could only hear the grumbles of discontent as his side went a club-record 15th league game without a win.
The defeat left Villa stranded at the foot of the table on six points from 16 games, six adrift of 19th-placed Sunderland.
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