EPL review: Sanchez, Iwobi shine as Arsenal keep title hopes alive

Arsenal kept their slender Premier League title hopes alive with a 4-0 victory over Watford at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday that exacted some revenge for their FA Cup defeat by Quique Sanchez Flores’s side last month.

Alexis Sanchez’s fourth-minute goal set the tone for a one-sided win that was completed by Alex Iwobi’s 38th-minute effort, Hector Bellerin’s strike early in the second half and Theo Walcott’s last minute tap-in.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had insisted before this game his side, currently in third place, could yet win the title if they won their remaining eight games.

And this victory moved them to within eight points of leaders Leicester City, 24 hours before Claudio Ranieri’s side face Southampton.

Veteran French boss Wenger had admonished Mesut Ozil earlier this week after the Germany international claimed Arsenal had “screwed up” their title challenge.

Having been clear favourites at the turn of the year, it was hard to disagree with Gunners playmaker Ozil’s contention but Wenger insisted this was no time for any of his players to allow their belief to weaken.

He knew better than anyone though that the only way to strengthen the view that Arsenal might yet challenge for the championship would be to build on their impressive victory at Everton last time out.

That win, coming in the wake of the Champions League exit at Barcelona and the FA Cup defeat by Watford, prompted as much frustration.

Nevertheless, the victory appeared to have lifted the squad and having named an unchanged line-up, Wenger saw his side make the ideal start against Watford.