Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle United

Arsenal have won six league matches in a row against Newcastle United

• Arsenal score four for second straight game

• Gunners two points behind Man Utd

• Newcastle suffer second defeat in four games

• Magpies stay seventh in table

Arsenal put their recent Premier League troubles behind them to move to within two points of the Premier League's top four after an easy win over Newcastle.

Olivier Giroud headed the Gunners ahead from Alexis Sanchez's cross and Santi Cazorla's cute finish made it 2-0.

Giroud added his second with a clever close-range finish, and Ayoze Perez gave Newcastle hope with a header.

Cazorla completed an emphatic win with a penalty after Paul Dummett's foul on Danny Welbeck.

Chants of "there's only one Arsene Wenger" rang out at Emirates Stadium towards the end of a dominant Arsenal display.

That must have been music to the Frenchman's ears after the Gunners boss was verbally abused by supporters last weekend.

Newcastle had arrived in north London buoyed by their victory over Chelsea.

Yet Alan Pardew's side struggled to hit the heights that they reached in ending the Premier League leaders' unbeaten start to the campaign.

Arsenal dominated the opening half and should have led by more than Giroud's 16th-minute header.

Per Mertesacker had already been denied by the crossbar, the Germany defender's back header from a Cazorla corner cannoning off the woodwork, before Giroud struck.

Newcastle's marking was non existent as they failed to pick up the France international's run from Sanchez's excellent delivery, Giroud planting a powerful header beyond Jak Alnwick from 12-yards out.

Arsenal were much improved from the side that lost 3-2 at Stoke City last weekend, Wenger's side showing hunger and desire, ingredients that were badly missing in the Potteries.

Danny Welbeck thought he had doubled the lead with an 18th-minute chipped finish but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Daryl Janmaat, a harsh decision judging by television replays.

Welbeck was unfortunate with an ambitious 32nd minute volley that flashed narrowly wide of Alnwick's post.

Newcastle were fortunate not to have Cheick Tiote red carded for a horrible early challenge after catching Sanchez in the stomach, referee Lee Mason missing the incident.

Chances were few and far between for the visitors, although it required a smart double save from Wojciech Szczesny to deny Mike Williamson and Papiss Cisse after Jack Colback's 35th-minute free kick caused panic.

It was an important moment, Arsenal extending their lead when Cazorla skipped over Fabricio Coloccini before beating Alnwick with a cute 55th-minute finish.

The Gunners went 3-0 up four minutes later as Giroud produced an exquisite piece of skill to beat Alnwick with the outside of his foot.

Perez gave Newcastle hope with a stooping header from Colback's free-kick, but Cazorla cemented an impressive home display from the spot after Welbeck was felled by Dummett.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: "We can score goals and we showed that again.

"Overall it was a dynamic game where defensively - despite the fact that we were depleted at the back - we were quite solid.

"Going forward we always looked dangerous. In the end we won in a convincing way.

"We scored four goals and that was needed. The response was strong after the Stoke City game and let's go well over Christmas."

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew: "I still felt, even at 3-1, that the game was in the balance. If we could have scored the second goal we had half a chance.

"Arsenal came out flying and had a really good purple patch and we were hanging on. We weren't as efficient with the ball as we have been.

"A lot of the credit has to go to Arsenal, they didn't give us a lot of time and they were quick. We grew into the game a little bit and had a chance to equalise that we should have taken."

Olivier Giroud has scored with all four headers on target he has mustered against Newcastle United

Santi Cazorla scored on his 30th birthday

Olivier Giroud has scored six goals in five Premier League appearance against Newcastle - more than against any other opponent

Danny Welbeck has not scored at Emirates since 18 October

Santi Cazorla has three goals in his last two Premier League appearances