Arsenal fans sang ‘boring boring Chelsea’ when the newly crowned English Premier League champions visited Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium and defended with their lives to secure a scoreless draw. At the KC Stadium on Monday night the onus fell on Arsenal players to demonstrate how the game should be more excitingly played despite seeing the League trophy land in the cabinet of their Stamford Bridge neighbours and the responded with a fluid and devastating performance to see off homers Hull City 3-1.

Arsenal are currently level on points with Manchester City but the Gunners remain in third place because City have a better goal difference. Arsenal have a game in hand, though.

From the outset, the technical superiority of the Arsenal players was there to see as they dominated possession and scored three first half goals amidst a blitz of irresistible attacking tippy-tappy moves.

Alexis Sanchez scored the opener for the Gunners midway in the first half with a free kick just at the edge of the Hull 18-yard-box. His shot took a wicked deflection off the head of a Hull player in the wall which wrong-footed goalkeeper Steve Harper.

The veteran Hull ’keeper was left frustrated again when a glorious left footed pass from Santi Carzola in his own half found Aaron Ramsey inside the Hull City box, who’s shot took another deflection to land in the net for Arsenal’s second.

Just before the close of the first half, Arsenal got their third through a brilliant move which ended with Sanchez rounding up Harper to record his second goal of the match.

The Gunners played with the handbrakes on early in the second half, but came back alive again after Hull City scored a consolation goal.

Arsenal missed several chances in the second half but they were an absolute beauty to watch with their one-touch combination play.

Arsenal are a side very much in form and there was a feeling of regret expressed by their manager for their poor start to the season. A better start would have catapulted them to a better position and they would have given Chelsea more of a fight for the crown.

“We need to start strong again next year,” Wenger said post match.

A sports writer in a UK paper recently criticised Arsenal for only raising their game and doing well when there is no real pressure. But she apparently fails to recognise the pressure there is to keep an 18th consecutive qualification to the Champions League running.

•Photo shows Arsenal players celebrating yesterday's Premier League win over Hull City.

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