Arsene Wenger has singled out former Dortmund Duo, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for special praise following their perfect display in the win against Watford on Sunday.
Defender Shkodran Mustafi opened the scoring for the Gunners inside ten minutes but the visitors responded by testing Arsenal for the remainder of the half.
However, after making a good start to the second half, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang punished the Hornets as he slotted home a Henrikh Mkhitaryan feed to make it 2-0.
The roles were then reversed as the Gabon international set up his Armenian team-mate, making it 3-0 after Petr Cech had saved a Troy Deeney penalty at 2-0.
It was the first time the 35-year-old has kept out a spot-kick since joining Arsenal in 2015 and helped him secure a landmark 200th Premier League clean sheet.
Deeney questioned Arsenal’s attitude after his penalty helped Watford come from behind to beat the Gunners in the reverse fixture in October, but this time they were eventually well-beaten.
Arsenal should have been ahead inside three minutes as Mohamed Elneny and Mesut Ozil combined to set Aubameyang in behind.
The visitors had the better of the early exchanges of the second-half, only to fall further behind as Mkhitaryan slid in Aubameyang, who rounded Karnezis to slot home.
The two-goal lead came under immediate threat as Ainsley Maitland-Niles tripped Pereyra with referee Martin Atkinson awarding Watford a penalty, with Deeney’s effort saved by Cech this time around.
Arsenal should have been handed a penalty of their own as Mariappa caught Mkhitaryan with a late challenge inside the box, this time Atkinson gave nothing.
But the Armenia international, who opened his Arsenal account in Milan, added the third courtesy of Aubameyang’s pass with substitute Danny Welbeck coming close to grabbing a fourth late on.
COMMENTS