Olivier Giroud put the Gunners ahead in the eighth minute after latching onto an exquisite flick from the fit-again Mesut Ozil, the Frenchman slotting home past Brad Guzan for his seventh goal of the season.
Villa kept the score in check until the break but the floodgates opened in the second half, Giroud repaying the compliment by playing in Ozil to score before Theo Walcott, Santi Cazorla and Hector Bellerin completed the rout, the right back scoring his first goal for Arsenal in injury time.
The Villains have now gone six league games in a row without scoring for the first time in their history and it may well be seven after their next match. The opponents? League leaders Chelsea at Villa Park.
KEY STATS
The Gunners have now scored at least one goal in 17 consecutive PL home matches. Their last longer scoring streak at home was between April 2007 and November 2008: 29 matches.
Olivier Giroud scores his seventh of the season in the PL and second in two matches.
Theo Walcott scores his 50th goal in the English leagues and his first since 1 January 2014. He scores in two consecutive matches for Arsenal for the first time since May 2013, having scored against Brighton and Hove Albion in the FA cup fourth round last Sunday.
Arsenal score their 150th goal against Aston Villa at home in the top flight. They have only scored more against Everton (184), Manchester United (157) and Manchester City (151) in the top flight.
David Ospina has kept a clean sheet in his last four matches for Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny has not kept a clean sheet for the Gunners in 10 matches.
TALKING POINT
Arsenal's embarrassment of riches: With Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil back and firing, Arsenal possess one of the most potent of attacks in the Premier League. Alexis Sanchez sat out the game with a hamstring injury, so someone will have to miss out when he returns, but who?
MAN OF THE MATCH
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal) A superb all round performance on his return to the Arsenal starting line-up, creating the first and adding a second to put his side on the way to victory.
PLAYER RATINGS
Arsenal: Ospina 7, Bellerin 7, Mertesacker 6, Koscielny 6, Monreal 6, Coquelin 6, Ramsey 7, Walcott 7, Cazorla 7, Ozil 8, Giroud 7. SUBS: Flamini 6, Rosicky 6, Akpom 7.
Aston Villa: Guzan 5, Hutton 6, Okore 5, Clark 6, Richardson 6, Sanchez 6, Delph 6, Cleverley 6, Weimann 5, Gil 7, Benteke 5. SUBS: Sinclair 6, Agbonlahor 6, Westwood 6.
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