 After a goalless first period, Granit Xhaka's wildly deflected effort soared into the net, before Danny Welbeck nodded home three minutes later to seal a vital 2–0 victory and subsequently end United's 25 match unbeaten run in all competitions.The Gunners next match was away to Southampton, and second-half goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud earned Arsenal a routine 2–0 victory, before Giroud scored a brace to lay the foundations for a convincing 4–1 win at Stoke City, with Sanchez and Ozil also scoring either side of a Peter Crouch goal.With the top four still a valid hope, Arsenal played host to Sunderland and, despite winning it 2–0, had to work hard for their points, earned with Alexis Sanchez's late brace.