Arsenal 5 Everton 1: Aaron Ramsey hat-trick and three assists for Henrikh Mkhitaryan cap perfect debut for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

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James Benge3 February 2018

New signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan introduced themselves to the Emirates Stadium in style as they and hat-trick hero Aaron Ramsey fired Arsenal to a 5-1 win over Everton.

Debutant Aubameyang scored Arsenal’s fourth while Mkhitaryan laid on three assists, for two of Aaron Ramsey’s treble and his former Dortmund team-mate, as Arsene Wenger’s side continued their exceptional run of form at home.

Laurent Koscielny also got on the scoresheet with a diving header as Arsenal scored four at home in the Premier League for the second game in a row, though as against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago they conceded a sloppy second half goal, in this instance from Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Though Arsenal still have a five-point gap to make up to the top four if they can replicate today’s blistering offensive display on their travels there is reason to hope, not least with the dynamic duo of Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan in their frontline.

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Aubameyang had overcame a fever to make his debut, taking Alexandre Lacazette’s place in the XI as Mkhitaryan started for the first time in an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 where he and Alex Iwobi.

Within six minutes the Gunners were slicing through Sam Allardyce’s supplicant defence. Aubameyang and Ozil combined to release Mkhitaryan in behind down the right, the Armenian sliding a pass back for Ramsey to tap home.

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It was no surprise that Everton’s tall but immobile three-man defence struggled with the pace of Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan et al but their inability to deal with basic set pieces will be of far greater concern to Allardyce.

An Ozil corner to the near post was flicked on by Shkodran Mustafi to the waiting Aubameyang across the goal, only for a diving Koscielny to steal in at the last minute and head home. The record signing would have to wait to open his Arsenal account, but not for much longer.

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By the 19th minute the contest was over, Ramsey’s side footed shot from outside the area deflecting off Eliaquim Mangala, enduring a debut to forget after his loan move from Manchester City, and leaving Jordan Pickford able to do nothing more than palm the ball into the roof of the net.

Everton had already seen the dangers of Aubameyang’s explosive pace, a through ball from the peerless Mesut Ozil releasing him to strike at goal, so it was all the crueler that when Aubameyang did convert he was half a yard offside.

It seemed a little unfair on the Toffees that a striker who can cover 30m in 3.7 seconds, faster than Usain Bolt did the same distance in his world record 100m run in 2009, had a head start but he made the most of the linesman’s leniency, clipping a delightful chip over Pickford.

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As against Crystal Palace a fortnight ago all that remained in the second half was for Arsenal to secure Petr Cech his 200th Premier League clean sheet, but a much improved Everton refused to hand it to him on a platter.

Oumar Niasse saw his diving attempt to convert a Theo Walcott cross clatter back off the post before Dominic Calvert-Lewin, on for the former Arsenal forward, out jumped fellow substitute Sead Kolasinac to score for Everton.

Victory was secure, Ramsey adding lustre to the scoreline as he drilled home Mkhitaryan’s cross to earn his first Arsenal hat-trick, but Wenger is unlikely to get carried away after his side followed up their drubbing of Palace with a dire display in defeat to Swansea.

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Should Wenger’s away day woes endure against Tottenham at Wembley next week this result, and the explosive arrival of Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang, will soon be forgotten.

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