Arsenal 3 Watford 0: Mustafi, Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan with goals for Gunners to seal first win in four league games
Much needed win for Arsenal in front of less than full Emirates ahead of Thursday's vital Europa League second leg clash against AC Milan
ARSENAL put Watford to the sword to ease pressure on Arsene Wenger and set them up nicely ahead of their crunch clash with AC Milan on Thursday.
With any hopes of top-four football all but over, the Gunners are now reliant on winning the Europa League to make the Champions League next season.
And they warmed up for their second-leg match with AC Milan –where they hold a 2-0 advantage after winning at the San Siro- by seeing off the Hornets.
Goals from Shkodran Mustafi, Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhytaryan saw Wenger’s side to a comfortable win in front of a sparse Emirates Stadium.
Mustafi, 25, put the Gunners ahead after six minutes, heading home unopposed from Mesut Ozil’s free-kick to ease any fears within the ground.
Ozil became the fastest player to reach 50 Premier League assists, doing so in 141 games and breaking Eric Cantona’s record by two games.
The German, 29, should have doubled Arsenal’s lead soon after, but having been put through by Mohamed Elneny and giving Orestis Karnezis the eyes, he could only shoot straight at the keeper.
Watford had chances to level the game up but were wasteful when opportunities came their way.
Roberto Pereyra fired over from only six-yards out while Richarlison saw a decent header turned away by Petr Cech just before half-time.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang made it two after the hour, latching onto Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s through-ball before rounding the keeper and slotting into an empty net.
Troy Deeney –who claimed Arsenal lacked “cojones” earlier in the season- should have put the Hornets back into contention from the penalty spot after Ainsley Maitland-Niles brought Pereyra down.
But he fired straight down the middle to allow Cech to make a comfortable save.
And it was incredibly the FIRST penalty he had saved in over 110 games for Arsenal since moving from Chelsea.
And Mkhitaryan grabbed his first league goal for Arsenal after 76 minutes, finishing from the edge of the past the hapless Karenezis after being teed up by Aubameyang.