Arsenal 5 Everton 1
Aaron Ramsey hit a hat-trick with Arsenal fans treated to their first showing of their January transfers in tandem as both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang shone in a comfortable 5-1 win over Everton.
Aubameyang joined from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day for a club-record fee, uniting with his former team-mate Mkhitaryan who had come in earlier in the window from Manchester United in a swap deal for Alexis Sanchez.
Ramsey would go on to shine alongside his all-star team-mates as he hit his first career hat-trick with the Gunners wrapping up a well-deserved win.
The new arrivals needed just six minutes to have an impact as the pair combined to allow Ramsey to tap in the opening goal of the contest.
Laurent Koscielny added the second and Ramsey struck again before close friends Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang combined as the latter scored on his debut – albeit from an offside position.
Substitute Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled one back for Sam Allardyce, who will want to forget his 500th Premier League game as a manager in a hurry, before Ramsey completed his hat-trick with a fine strike.
Mesut Özil, challenged by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to become the leader of his side after opting to sign a new deal at the Emirates Stadium, was involved in the first goal.
He laid a pass in to Aubameyang, who freed Mkhitaryan to cross low for Ramsey to tuck home from close-range for his first goal since October.
Mkhitaryan had looked a little lost as he came off the bench to make his debut in defeat at Swansea but he soon found his feet here, flashing a shot inches wide of Jordan Pickford’s right-hand post as Arsenal went in search of a second.
The home fans were not made to wait too long. A 14th-minute Özil corner was flicked on by Shkodran Mustafi and Koscielny arrived in front of Aubameyang to send a diving header past Pickford.
As with the recent home win over Crystal Palace, the early goals kept on coming for the Gunners, as Ramsey scored his second with a long-range shot which deflected off Everton debutant Eliaquim Mangala.
Everton had offered very little until the returning Theo Walcott latched onto a simple through ball which split the under-fire Arsenal defence and set him away, only for Mustafi to make a late block.
Aubameyang showed his blistering pace soon after as he left the Everton defence for dead to latch onto a sumptuous Özil through ball, only to run wide and fire in a low shot which Pickford saved.
The Gabon striker did score his first Arsenal goal with a deft chip from Mkhitaryan’s pass, although he should have been flagged offside.
The onslaught continued and only the post prevented Nacho Monreal heading in his third goal in as many league games with the Everton defence all over the place.
Allardyce switched to a back four for the second half and it almost paid dividends as Walcott’s low cross was turned onto the post by Oumar Niasse.
Walcott’s unhappy return ended when he was replaced by Calvert-Lewin, who then headed home past Petr Cech before the Arsenal goalkeeper limped off.
Ramsey would complete his hat-trick courtesy of another Mkhitaryan assist as Arsenal’s superb home form continues in stark contrast to their away showings.
