Video: Arsenal 4 – 1 Newcastle United [Premier League] Highlights

The Gunners secured an emphatic victory over the Magpies to move level on points with Southampton in the table ahead of the meeting with Liverpool at Anfield on December 21

Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla both scored twice as Arsenal claimed a 4-1 victory over Newcastle United to lift boss Arsene Wenger.

Frenchman Giroud this week came out in defence of his under-fire manager, who was on the receiving end of public vitriol from the club’s fans in the wake of their 3-2 loss to Stoke City last weekend.

A 4-1 Champions League victory against Galatasaray in midweek went some way towards silencing the doubters, and Arsenal duly carried that momentum into Saturday’s Premier League clash to record a resounding win.

Newcastle went into the match having lost just one of their last 10 in all competitions but they rarely looked like extending that run at the Emirates Stadium.

Giroud opened the scoring in the 15th minute with a precise header, before Spain midfielder Cazorla – celebrating his 30th birthday – doubled the advantage nine minutes after half-time.

Former Montpellier man Giroud effectively made the game safe four minutes later by turning home Hector Bellerin’s low cross, rendering Ayoze Perez’s 63rd-minute effort nothing more than a consolation.

Cazorla then added a fourth from the penalty spot with two minutes left as Arsenal moved to within two points of the top four.

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