SANCHEZ IS TOP OF THE STROPS AGAIN AS ARSENAL HIT FOUR

Arsenal up to third as their sulking genius slaps down sad Swansea, proving that...

HE HUFFED and puffed and threw his gloves down. Not many players dismantle teams quite like Alexis Sanchez and even fewer can match his strops.

At Bournemouth on January 3, it was a tantrum during and after a 3-3 draw; here it was the pantomime of his reaction to being substituted 79 minutes into a demolition of his making.

He had been excellent, making the first goal for Olivier Giroud with determination and precision and scoring the last with a volley. A quite stunning talent.

But still the drama came, with the trudge off the field, the removal of his gloves and the kick that sent them towards the bench, where he eventually sat, hidden under a coat. Furious, hurt, seething presumably at being denied the chance to further kick an old bird that was already dead. The best are spitefully ruthless and Sanchez clearly belongs in that elite company.

Arsene Wenger found the whole episode amusing enough, evidently comfortable that this was no repeat of the histrionics found at West Ham and Chelsea this week from big boys who should know better. He knows he has a gloriously good thing in this forward, who can apparently score or create with remarkable frequency. That second-half goal here was his 21st in 32 games; his 10 assists in that time show what an asset he is at a time when he has a contract issue to resolve with the club.

This was a good nudge to that end, given it did a lot for Arsenal’s title challenge, lifting them to third after a recent bout of travel sickness.

It had become something of a problem for Wenger’s side, with a few too many points left sprinkled on the road.

One point in their previous three away trips was simply not good enough for a team with such aspirations and a congested table had responded by spitting them out of the top four.

But this was an impressive way to get the stone out of the shoe, with Swansea kicked around in their own back yard on the occasion of Paul Clement’s first league game in charge.

Clement had perhaps tempted fate on his arrival by saying that sides in his care would be too well organised and coached to lose by three, four and five.

With personnel as flaky as this bunch, with a defensive track record so poor this season, that was a risky thing to say and it showed here, where the impressive play of Swansea’s first half an hour was quickly made irrelevant by the rout that followed.

Giroud got Arsenal going with his 11th goal in his last nine starts, including at least one strike in each. His finish for the goal after 37 minutes was simple — a tap in from a couple of yards.

But the build-up play was really quite something, one of those Arsenal counter-attacks that pass in a blur, with Giroud involved and Mesut Ozil playing a beautifully cushioned flick into Aaron Ramsey’s path. The Welshman drilled a low cross along the six-yard box but Giroud was a fraction late with his lunge.

That chance got away but Sanchez retrieved the loose ball and crossed for Ozil. The German was given far too much space but he fluffed his header, which cannoned off Alfie Mawson and dropped to the feet of Giroud, who finished.

From sleep to sprinting in a matter of minutes for Arsenal; a painful slap for Swansea, who should have defended the goal better but generally looked good in the opening half.

From there, it got worse for Swansea, with Arsenal going two up after 54 minutes.

Gylfi Sigurdsson was caught in possession on the edge of his own area, the ball was worked to Alex Iwobi and his shot looped over Lukasz Fabianski via a large deflection off Jack Cork.

Clement threw his arms up in a rage and did so again 13 minutes later when Iwobi’s cross on the left flank was turned in by Kyle Naughton.

Sanchez added the fourth from close range and was promptly substituted, sparking a bonus feature for a showreel performance.

For Arsenal, these are manageable problems. For Clement, there must be a serious worry. He believes he can coach his way out of Swansea’s mess, but coaching such limited players to survival will clearly be a big ask.

Quite aside from such a pathetic defence — which could yet produce the worst figures in Premier League history — there is the basic question of fitness.

They had started this game with energy and effective pressing, but gave it away with their hands on their knees.

Survival for Swansea looks a desperately tough proposition, even in such a tight Premier League table. For Arsenal, the title seems far more attainable than Swansea’s safety.

For that, they have a sulking genius to thank.