"?Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick as the Gunners buried relegated Aston Villa by four goals to nil at the Emirates Stadium. The result also meant they finished second in the Premier League table after fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur lost their final game to Newcastle United.
Arsenal took the lead early on through Giroud. The Gunners struck in the fifth minute, with Giroud heading home from a Nacho Monreal cross to set Arsene Wenger's men on their way. The visitors did create chances to try and find an equaliser, with the likes of Ashley Westwood and Scott Sinclair threatening, but the hosts held firm.
The two sides went into the break level, and went lengthy periods in the second-half without changing the score until Giroud bagged his second goal of the game. Mesut Ozil assisted the Frenchman from close range to make it 2-0 to the home side in the 78th minute. Arsenal cut Aston Villa to pieces and they weren't done there.
Giroud scored his third goal of the game a minute after notching a brace, this time with Hector Bellerin assisting him, and it killed any chance of Aston Villa getting back into the match. Mikel Arteta poured gloss on his side's performance with a late fourth goal that may go down as a Mark Bunn own goal, after the Aston Villa shot-stopper inadvertently bundled the ball into his own net.
Arsenal ran out worthy winners, but the speedy manner of Giroud's second-half goals certainly left Aston Villa shell-shocked.