Olivier Giroud's first goals of the season handed Arsenal victory and Sunderland a share of an unwanted Premier League record.
The France forward struck twice within five minutes of being introduced as a 69th-minute substitute to kill off hopes of a Black Cats' fightback after Jermain Defoe's penalty had cancelled out Alexis Sanchez's first-half opener.
Sanchez helped himself to a second - the last three goals came inside a chaotic seven-minute period - to leave Sunderland with only two points from their first 10 league games, matching Manchester City's low in 1995-96.
The Gunners, who have now gone 14 games unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day of the campaign, probably should have had the game won by half-time, but beleaguered boss David Moyes was given hope by Defoe's spot-kick, only for the visitors to respond in brutal fashion.
Writing in his programme notes, Moyes had admitted "It isn't easy to be a Sunderland supporter at the moment..." and promised tireless effort in a bid to alter that situation, but the locals among a crowd of 44,322 found the going particularly difficult on this occasion.
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