Arsenal ran out comfortable 4-0 winners against West Brom on Saturday evening to begin the new year in style.
Kieran Tierney broke the deadlock with a brilliant solo effort before Bukayo Saka combined with Emile Smith Rowe to round off a flowing move to give the Gunners a 2-0 lead at the break.
Alexandre Lacazette continued his recent improvement with a brace in the second half to ensure the points returned to north London.
Perhaps the one surprise was that captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wasn't on the scoresheet in what was Arsenal 's biggest Premier League win of the season to date.
Although, manager Mikel Arteta is happy to see the goalscoring burden lifted from the 31-year-old's shoulders.
"Yes, but I keep saying that we cannot put on Auba the whole weight on his shoulders to score the goals," the Gunners boss said in his post-match press conference. "We need contributions. Midfielders have to score more goals, needs to give more assists and we need goals from our wingers as well.
"Laca is in a great moment he’s scored I think five in the last four games. It’s what we need from our strikers as well.
"Auba has some chances today he could have scored the same in the last game or so. I am so pleased because I thought in the final third we looked lively.
"There is a lot of movement, there is good energy, there is a real purpose, everybody’s playing forward. It’s like we are freer to play there.
"And the understanding is coming to generate a lot of things there."
Despite not scoring, Aubameyang did play a role in Lacazette's second at the Hawthorns, claiming a pre-assist for Tierney's cross that was converted from close range by the Frenchman.
And as spotted in an 'All Access Areas' video uploaded to the club's YouTube page, at around the 5.03-minute mark the Gunners captain turns to the left-back and says "well done, Kieran" before offering him a high five.
In the same sequence, Saka is overjoyed with the goal.
Victory over the Baggies was Arsenal's third on the bounce which has seen them climb up to 11th in the table, just three points behind London rivals Chelsea.
Next up for Aubameyang and company is an FA Cup third-round tie at home to Newcastle United as they begin the defence of the trophy won last August on Saturday evening.
