Arsenal 3
Aston Villa 0
Premier League

A 28-MINUTE cameo from Cesc Fabregas inspired Arsenal to a 3-0 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates.

The Gunners skipper, who had just recovered from a hamstring injury, was thrown on after an hour by Arsene Wenger and the Spaniard turned the game on its head, providing the cutting edge the hosts needed by scoring twice before he was removed after appearing to aggravate the same injury.

His precise free-kick was followed by a composed finish after he had been put through by another substitute Theo Walcott. However, Fabregas pulled up after netting his second of the game and was withdrawn.

The impressive Abou Diaby rounded off the scoring with a magnificent solo effort, driving forward from midfield before curling a shot from the edge of the box past the outstretched arm of Brad Friedel.

But it was Fabregas who stole the show, coming on to provide the added impetus Arsenal were calling out for. Eduardo should have given his side the lead after just four minutes but his tame left-footed shot resembled a pass back rather than a shot in anger.

The rest of the first half was well-balanced, with Ashley Young seeing a shot deflected over the bar for the visitors.

Arsenal emerged with more purpose in the second period, and they seemed determined to inflict a first defeat at the Emirates on Villa.

But the breakthrough didn’t come until five minutes after Fabregas’ introduction. The skipper turned on a sixpence, inducing a foul from Richard Dunne 25 yards out and then dusted himself off to swing the free-kick into the corner of the net.

With Villa pressing, you wondered if Arsenal could hold on, but when Walcott scampered down the right wing and found Fabregas with a well-weighted pass, the Spain international clipped the ball past Friedel and they were home and dry.

Fabregas limped off, with Wenger revealing afterwards that it could be scar tissue damage, which would result in an absence of just a few days, but if it was a recurrence of his recent injury, it could be more like three weeks.

Diaby then capped a commanding display with an excellent goal with seconds left to put the seal on the victory and momentarily lift them above Manchester United into second place and to within four points of leaders Chelsea, with a game in hand.