Arsenal moved a step closer to securing a Champions League place by easing to a 3-1 victory over Hull City this evening.
The Gunners took the lead when Alexis Sanchez fired in a deflected free kick and they scored a second five minutes later through Aaron Ramsey's strike.
Sanchez grabbed a third for the Gunners on the stroke of half time, with a composed finish after rounding the keeper.
Stephen Quinn pulled a goal back for the Tigers in the second half, but it proved to be just a consolation, as the Gunners stretched their unbeaten run in the league to 10 games.
Find out how the action unfolded below.
Hello everyone! We've had an eventful weekend of action in the Premier League and there is still one more game to go this evening at the KC Stadium. Will Arsenal be able to continue their unbeaten run, or can Hull City pick up vital points in their battle to avoid the drop?
The Gunners are enjoying a strong end to the season and they are well on course to finish inside the top three and claim an automatic Champions League spot. Arsene Wenger will also be hoping that his players maintain their good form, with the FA Cup final to come at the end of the month.
We have arrived at KC Stadium ready for #HCFCvAFC. Send us pictures of where you are watching using #GlobalGunners pic.twitter.com/I6PernhkkA
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 4, 2015
It has also been a good recent spell for Hull, who have won their last two games against Crystal Palace and Liverpool to move out of the bottom three. There is still plenty of work to do for them, as they are just one point above the relegation zone and face a difficult final few games.
We've got plenty more to discuss before the start of the match, but let's take a look at the team news, which was revealed just a few moments ago from the KC.
HULL XI: Harper, Dawson, Chester, McShane, Elmohamady, Brady, Huddlestone, Livermore, Quinn, Aluko, N'Doye
ARSENAL XI: Ospina, Bellerin, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Ramsey, Ozil, Sanchez, Giroud
HULL SUBS: McGregor, Rosenior, Bruce, Robertson, Meyler, Hernández, Jelavic
ARSENAL SUBS: Szczesny, Gibbs, Gabriel, Flamini, Wilshere, Rosicky, Walcott
So, that's how our two teams will be lining up this evening. Arsenal are unchanged from their draw with Chelsea, and it means that Olivier Giroud continues to lead the line, with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez supporting him in the attack. Francis Coquelin, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla are further back in the midfield, but there is no place in the squad for Danny Welbeck, who has been ruled out with a knee problem.
There are also no changes made to the Hull starting lineup, but David Meyler and Nikica Jelavic are named on the bench after missing the victory over Liverpool. It appears as though the Tigers will once again line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Ahmed Elmohamady and Robbie Brady playing down the flanks.
Let's get back to our build up for tonight's match and take a closer look at each team, starting with Arsenal. The Gunners are on a nine-game unbeaten run in the league, which has lifted them up to third in the table and a victory tonight would all but secure a spot in the Champions League for an 18th successive season.
© Getty Images
They did see their eight-game winning streak come to an end last weekend, after sharing a goalless draw with Chelsea, but that can be considered a good result compared to their recent clashes with the Blues. Of course, it isn't just the league where they are in great form, as victory over Reading two weeks ago secured them a place in the FA Cup final for the second year in a row.
Should the Gunners win today, then they would move level on points with second-place Manchester City and with home games to come against Swansea, Sunderland and West Brom you would fancy them to be in good shape ahead of that Wembley clash against Aston Villa. Their most difficult game now seems to be against Manchester United, which could very well decide who finishes in third place.
There is a real belief that Arsenal are getting closer to challenging for the title and you feel that it will be an important summer for Arsene Wenger. They have shown over the past couple of seasons with the signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez that they are not afraid to splash the cash and two or three more high quality arrivals could help them to end their long wait for the Premier League crown.
Arsenal are the heavy favourites to win tonight's match, but they will be facing a Hull side who have won their last two games. They ended a six-game winless run by claiming a 2-0 victory away to Queens Park Rangers, before following that up with a narrow win against Liverpool last week thanks to a first-half header from Michael Dawson.
© Getty Images
Those two results have helped the club up to 16th in the table and they now have 34 points on the board. However, wins for their relegation rivals Sunderland, Leicester and Aston Villa have cranked up the pressure and they are just a point clear of the drop. Their goal difference is much better than the teams around them, so that may very well be what ends up keeping them in the top flight.
This is the first of three home games before the end of the season, but none of those fixtures look easy for Steve Bruce's side. In their next match at the weekend they will host Burnley, who themselves will be relegated with a defeat. They will then travel to White Hart Lane to play Tottenham, before ending the season at the KC against Manchester United.
It is worth remembering that the Tigers just about avoided relegation last season, despite losing six of their final eight games. They managed to accumulate 37 points and that number could be enough this season, although Bruce won't want to leave it to chance.
These teams have been involved in some memorable games in recent seasons, with last year's FA Cup final the standout tie. James Chester and Curtis Davies had given the Tigers a two-goal lead inside of eight minutes, before a superb free kick from Santi Cazorla and a goal from Laurent Koscielny levelled the scores. The game then went to extra time, where Aaron Ramsey fired in the winner for the Gunners to end their nine-year wait for a trophy.
© Getty Images
Arsenal actually beat Hull in the third round of this year's tournament, but that proved to be a very straightforward 2-0 win for Arsene Wenger's side. There was plenty of drama when the teams met earlier this season in the Premier League, as Danny Welbeck struck in the last minute to salvage a point for his side in a 2-2 draw.
That result is the only time in the past nine meetings that Hull have taken anything from Arsenal, with the Londoners winning 14 of their 22 games overall. In fact, a 2-1 victory for the Tigers in 2008 has been their only win over the Gunners in the past 100 years.
PREDICTION: This is such a massive game for the Tigers and their recent wins over Crystal Palace and Liverpool will have given them a huge boost in confidence. However, they are facing a team of real quality in Arsenal and it's hard to see them stopping the visitors from scoring. So, for that reason I'm going to tip the Gunners to claim a 3-1 win and keep up their fine unbeaten run.
The two teams have just made their way out onto the pitch to a rapturous applause from the fans and we are now just a few minutes away from the start of tonight's match!
KICKOFF! We are underway at the KC Stadium!
Arsenal have seen all of the possession in the early stages of this match and they have the first half-chance of the game when Monreal bursts down the left and whips in a low cross towards Ramsey at the front post. The midfielder gets in front of his marker and gets a touch, but he can only direct the ball into the stands.
It's still all Arsenal at the moment and it does appear that they are going to have the lions share of the ball this evening. They are just waiting to pick their moments to break, with Harper untested in the Hull goal as yet.
Coquelin heads to the sidelines to receive some treatment after he is clattered by Ospina during a free kick. The midfielder looks a bit groggy at the moment, but he should be fine to continue and he has certainly been a wonderful addition to the midfield since he returned from his loan spell at Charlton.
This would have been quite a bizarre goal. Bellerin bursts down the right and drives in a low cross that hits Huddlestone and loops towards his own goal, but fortunately for Hull, the ball ends up landing safely in the arms of the keeper.
SAVE! Sanchez shows his threat for the first time this evening, as he exchanges passes with Ozil on the edge of the box, before firing in a low strike that is well pushed to safety by Harper.
Arsenal are starting to turn the screw a bit here and they are playing most of their football inside the Hull half of the pitch. They haven't really managed to get in behind the home side's defence, who have looked solid in these early stages.
The Gunners show their threat on the counter, when Livermore loses the ball on the edge of the box and they get a number of players forward. Ozil leads the charge down the right and he slides in a pass for Coquelin, but the Frenchman sees his cross cut out and he ends up giving away a foul in his attempts to win the ball back.
N'Doye is a man in form and he shows his confidence when he collects the ball out on the right and goes for goal from long range when he sees that Ospina is slightly off his line, but his effort goes well wide of the post.
Over the past few minutes Hull have seen the ball in some promising areas and they have delivered some great balls into the box. Their latest delivery from Brady down the left picks out Aluko, who heads an effort back into the middle, but it hits Mertesacker and the Gunners manage to scramble it clear.
YELLOW CARD! Livermore picks up the first booking of the match for a foul on Sanchez.
Worrying signs here for Arsenal, as Ramsey goes down under a challenge from Huddlestone and limps off the pitch to receive treatment from the medical staff. It would be a huge blow for the midfielder to pick up an injury at this stage of the season, so hopefully it is nothing too serious.
Huddlestone puts his team in all sorts of trouble when he is robbed of possession by Sanchez who charges towards the box. The Chilean is then brought down just outside the area by Livermore and it has given Arsenal a free kick in a great position.
GOAL! Hull 0-1 Arsenal (Alexis Sanchez)
Arsenal punish Hull for losing the ball cheaply, as Sanchez scores from the resulting free kick to send them into the lead. The hosts can consider themselves slightly unfortunate, as the strike took a massive deflection off Dawson and left Harper rooted to the spot as it flew into the back of the net.
YELLOW CARD! It's another booking for the Tigers, as N'Doye is shown a card for a trip on Monreal.
GOAL! Hull 0-2 Arsenal (Aaron Ramsey)
The Gunners double their lead and it's another deflection that beats Harper. Cazorla plays a wonderful long-range pass that finds Ramsey just inside the box and the Welshman gets it onto his right foot, before firing in a strike that takes a touch off Brady and ends up in the the far corner.
SHOT! The Gunners are in complete control at the moment and you've got to fear for Hull. They also work another chance on goal, as Cazorla fires in a low effort towards the near post, that requires Harper to get down and turn the ball behind.
Hull catch the Arsenal defence cold when a quick free kick from Huddlestone sends N'Doye through on goal, but the striker scuffs his attempt well wide of the far post. It wouldn't have counted anyway, though, as the flag was raised for an offside by the linesman.
The Tigers would love to pull a goal back before half time, but I'm sure that Bruce is more concerned about them letting in a third. They have shown a few moments of danger, but it has been relatively comfortable for the Gunners for long spells in this half.
SHOT! Almost a stunning goal from Arsenal, as a great passing move sees Sanchez slide a ball down the left for Ozil, who then drills in a low strike that is held by the keeper.
GOAL! Hull 0-3 Arsenal (Alexis Sanchez)
Sanchez had just seen a shot blocked by Harper, but he makes no mistake here to give the Gunners a three-goal lead. He is slipped through by a brilliant pass from Ramsey and he takes the ball past Harper, before cooly sliding it into the empty net.
HALF-TIME: Hull 0-3 Arsenal
We've reached the halfway stage of tonight's match and Arsenal are well on their way to claiming the three points. They have played some stunning football and two goals from Alexis Sanchez and a strike from Aaron Ramsey has put them in total control.
© Getty Images
Arsenal have completely dominated the possession and they saw a huge 66% of the ball in the first half. They have also had nine shots on goal and found the target six times, while the Tigers have not been able to test David Ospina with their three efforts.
You've got to feel for Steve Bruce, as his players have been outclassed by the Gunners from the very start. It's hard to see them coming back from this position and if things stay the same, then they will actually slip below Leicester in the league table on goal difference.
Right, the teams have just made their way back out onto the pitch and the second half will be getting underway in just a few moments.
Hull take the kick off and get the second half started!
SUBSTITUTION: Hull have made a change at the break, with Meyler coming on to replace Livermore, who was perhaps lucky not be shown a second yellow card for a foul on Sanchez.
It's been a scrappy start to the second half, as both teams have given away possession cheaply. There haven't been any decent chances yet, with Aluko striking an effort wildly into the stands from around 30 yards out.
The Gunners are now back in control and playing some great passes as they look to completely kill the game off. We have seen them slip up from positions like this before, so Wenger will not want them to make even the slightest of mistakes.
It's so easy for Arsenal at the moment and they are coming under no pressure from their opponents. Hull seem resigned to their fate and just need a spark to help get them going.
CHANCE! First real opportunity of the second half for Arsenal, as Ramsey is found by Cazorla on the edge of the box, before poking a strike just wide of the post.
GOAL! Hull 1-3 Arsenal (Stephen Quinn)
Out of absolutely nothing, Hull have pulled a goal back to give themselves a glimmer of a chance in this match. Elmohamady whips in a a great cross from the right and Quinn rises to power a fine header into the corner, that leaves Ospina helpless.
CHANCE! That goal has really lifted the spirits around the ground and Hull come close to grabbing another. Elmohamady is the creator once again with a curling cross from the right that picks out McShane, but the defender can only direct his header over the bar.
SHOT! Down the other end of the pitch, Arsenal show their attacking threat, when a stunning flick from Ozil frees Sanchez down the left. The Chilean then drills the ball into the box, but Harper manages to punch the ball away before it could find Giroud at the back post.
SUBSTITUTION: It's a second change for Hull, with Robertson coming on for Aluko.
SUBSTITUTION: The Gunners are going to make their first sub of the evening, as Ramsey heads off to be replaced by Wilshere.
Wilshere makes a great impact just moments after coming on, as he charges through the midfield and is hacked down cynically just outside the box by Dawson. It has given his side another free kick in a promising area and Sanchez will certainly fancy his chances of scoring once again.
Sanchez does indeed take the free kick, but he fires the ball into the wall and this time it heads to safety instead of finding the back of the net.
SHOT! The Gunners put together another wonderful passing move and they eventually work it to Ozil down the right-hand side of the box. He then whips in a low cross that is met by Cazorla, but the Spaniard can't get enough power on his sidefoot finish to turn the ball past Harper.
Hull have seen a bit more of the ball in the past few minutes, but they have not been able to seriously trouble the Arsenal defence. There did seem hope of a comeback when Quinn scored, but the Gunners have done well to stifle them and quieten down the home supporters.
SUBSTITUTION: Third and final change for Hull, with Jelavic coming on to replace Quinn.
SAVE! The hosts give the ball away cheaply once again, allowing the Gunners to break quickly. The ball ends up with Sanchez on the left and he cuts inside before picking out Cazorla on the edge of the box. The Spaniard's shot doesn't seem too dangerous, but it almost catches Harper out, who does well to flick out a leg and make the block.
CHANCE! Arsenal have another decent chance to wrap up the points when Bellerin drills a low ball into the box that is palmed away by Harper. He can only get it as far as Wilshere, who sees his effort blocked by the hand of Chester and into the path of Sanchez, who fires wide from a tight angle.
SUBSTITUTION: It's a second change for Arsenal, as Walcott replaces Giroud.
There are going to be four minutes of stoppage time.
SHOT! Late chance for Walcott to get his name on the scoresheet, as he is picked out inside the box by Bellerin's cross, but can only direct his low strike wide of the post.
CHANCE! The Gunners come close again to scoring a fourth goal when Sanchez latches onto a fine pass from Cazorla and drives towards the box. He turns his marker inside out and finds some space to shoot, but he ends up dragging the ball wide of the far post.
FULL-TIME: Hull 1-3 Arsenal
The final whistle blows at the KC Stadium and Arsenal have claimed all three points this evening. Goals in the first half from Alexis Sanchez and Aaron Ramsey proved enough, with Stephen Quinn's header after the break ending up to be just a consolation for the Tigers.
© Getty Images
I'm afraid that's it for our coverage this evening. I'll be back shortly to bring you analysis and player ratings from the match, so stay tuned for that. Until then, goodbye!
Written by
Alex Meyers
Alex Meyers
