Sanchez Tames Tigers

Alexis Sanchez silenced his critics with a superb display and a brace as Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Hull 3-1 at KC Stadium.

The Chilean has been among the best signings in the Premier League this season and is a big factor in the Gunners' rise from their usual fourth spot to battling for second with Manchester City. His goals haven't been as frequent in the second half of the season, with some questioning his form, but performances like the one he produced in Humberside prove what a top class player he is.

Sanchez has amassed 24 goals in all competitions so far this season and, even in games where he hasn't scored, his work-rate and desire to help the team succeed is second to none and he is simply a joy to watch.

The 26-year-old, along with man-of-the-match Santi Cazorla, pulled the strings against the Tigers and Arsenal built up a commanding three goal advantage in a first half in which they produced one of their finest performances of the season.

The Gunners were magnificent in the opening 45 minutes and it was slightly disappointing it didn't continue in the same vain in the second. That was partly down to Hull improving in the second half and credit must go to them, but Arsenal did seem to also drop the tempo. Aside from that, it was another brilliant result as Arsene Wenger's men continued what is proving to be a magnificent calendar year.

For all the positives that can be taken from 2015 so far, with the Gunners being one of the most in-form sides in Europe at the moment, it is still frustrating to see us 13 points off champions Chelsea. Maybe, just maybe, next season can be our year to mount a more serious title challenge and we have the foundations of a brilliant side but things still need to change. I still believe Wenger is the man to lead us but I believe we still need a few top quality additions in the summer to turn is into more serious contenders to take the title from Chelsea.

The first half against Hull is certainly a very good sign but we need to kill sides off like that more often and ensure we avoid silly blips like we had earlier in the season. Although the first half was very impressive it did take the Gunners 28 minutes to break the deadlock.

Sanchez, who had earlier seen a shot pushed away by Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper, curled a deflected free-kick into the roof of the net to set the tone for a great evening for the visitors.

Arsenal doubled their advantage five minutes later when Ramsey, who scored the winner in last season's FA Cup Final between the two sides, latched onto an inch-perfect long ball from Cazorla before clipping a shot over Harper via a deflection off Robbie Brady.

Harper reacted quickly to block an effort from Sanchez but could do nothing about the forward's second goal in first-half stoppage time. Ramsey turned provider with a fine reverse pass to Sanchez, who took the ball beyond Harper before scoring from close range as Arsenal reached 100 goals for the season.

Hull, who are just a point clear of the drop zone, reduced the deficit within 11 minutes of the restart. Ahmed Elmohamady's cross was headed home by Stephen Quinn.

There was a brief worry for Arsenal when Elmohamady whipped in another inviting cross soon after, but Paul McShane could only send his header over the bar. Had it gone in to make it 3-2 it could have made for a very nervy end to the game. As it was the Gunners soon resumed control of the game and made it difficult for the Tigers to get hold of the ball.

Sanchez came close to completing his hat-trick after latching onto a fine flick from Mesut Ozil but his effort was well kept out by Harper. It was a shame the Chilean couldn't add his third but it was still a superb performance from the Chilean.

Another positive for the Gunners was the return of Jack Wilshere, who came off the bench for the final 22 minutes to make his comeback from injury. The England midfielder looked lively and it will no doubt take him a long while to get back to his best, but it was still great to see him back on the pitch. Wilshere had a chance to get himself on the scoresheet in the closing stages. Hector Bellerin saw his effort saved by Harper before Wilshere's follow-up was blocked by James Chester, although it did appear to strike the Hull defender on the arm.

Sanchez missed another opportunity to grab a hat-trick late on as he dragged a shot wide of goal, but Wenger's men more than deserved all three points.

It may not have been the net-busting second half many fans had hoped for following the quality of the first half but Wenger's men kept the ball well and still did a professional job on their opponents.

The result leaves the Gunners in third place, with only goal-difference separating them from second-placed Manchester City. Wenger's men also have a game in hand, which is against Sunderland later this month, so their chances of finishing runners-up remains in their own hands.

Although the title is done and dusted after Chelsea sealed the title with victory over Crystal Palace at the weekend, there is still plenty to play for. Second to fourth place isn't a trophy but it would show marked improvement from Wenger's men if they can continue their fine run of form to achieve a second-placed finish. There is also the FA Cup Final against Aston Villa to come at the end of the month so the season could still end with silverware.

Don't get me wrong, there is still plenty of work to be done over the summer but things feel like they are moving a lot more in the right direction compared to at the end of 2014. If we can continue the run, which has seen us lose just one of our last 14 matches, it will set us up nicely for next season. If we can also make the right moves in the transfer market in the off-season who knows what might happen but for now we must focus on our remaining matches, starting with our next league outing - the visit of Swansea to the Emirates.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS