Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Arsenal 3.
Cardiff City 0-3 Arsenal
- From the section Football
Aaron Ramsey returned to Cardiff with two fine goals as Arsenal won in the Welsh capital to move seven points clear at the Premier League summit.
Ramsey teed up Jack Wilshere to hit the bar, before nodding the opener against his old club from Mesut Ozil's cross.
Fraizer Campbell almost equalised for Cardiff with a header that Wojciech Szczesny kept out with a crucial save.
Arsenal made it two when Ozil set up Mathieu Flamini to slam home and Ramsey drilled a third after a slick attack.
Wales international Ramsey joined Arsenal from Cardiff in 2008, when just 17. He refused to celebrate his goals, which were applauded by sections of the home crowd, and some Cardiff fans joined their Arsenal counterparts in singing Ramsey's name late on.
He responded by tapping both hands against his head - known by Cardiff supporters as the Ayatollah - following an impressive display.
The result gives Arsenal breathing space above their title rivals, with none of Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United playing until Sunday.
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Cardiff now sit just one place above the relegation zone but arrived buoyed by a their latest impressive home result following victories over Manchester City and Swansea.
Arsenal, however, presented arguably the toughest test of their maiden Premier League season to date and it was immediately clear why.
With only a minute on the clock, Ramsey fed Wilshere and the England midfielder's curling strike from 20 yards came back off the woodwork as he looked to add to a against Marseille.
The hosts went close as Campbell headed wide from a Kevin Theophile-Catherine cross and Jordon Mutch later hooked off target following Peter Whittingham's free-kick, yet those were rare forays forward.
Arsenal might have taken the lead through Olivier Giroud, but the Frenchman stopped playing in anticipation of an offside flag that never arrived, enabling Steven Caulker to block his eventual shot.
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They made amends when Ozil crossed from the left for an on-rushing and unmarked Ramsey to direct a clinical header past David Marshall.
Arsenal continued to probe and Giroud found Ramsey to fire wide prior to half-time, and it was roles reversed after the break as Ramsey picked out Giroud and his shot was cleared off the line by Ben Marshall.
That reprieve seemed to rejuvenate Cardiff, their supporters responding in kind, and it needed a magnificent low one-handed save by Szczesny to stop Campbell's header from an Andrew Taylor cross.
With Malky Mackay's side pushing hard to draw level, they were leaving themselves exposed to counter-attacks and Arsenal capitalised with a crunching first-time finish by substitute Flamini from Ozil's cute pass.
They confirmed victory when Peter Odemwingie lost possession and Theo Walcott, another substitute, raced away before squaring for Ramsey to convert his 13th goal in all competitions this season.
Line-ups
Cardiff
- 1Marshall
- 28Théophile-Catherine
- 3TaylorSubstituted forCorneliusat 87'minutes
- 8Medel
- 4Caulker
- 6Turner
- 19Cowie
- 18Mutch
- 10CampbellSubstituted forOdemwingieat 65'minutes
- 13KimSubstituted forNooneat 75'minutes
- 7Whittingham
Substitutes
- 5Hudson
- 9Cornelius
- 11Odemwingie
- 16Noone
- 17Gunnarsson
- 32Lewis
- 39Bellamy
Arsenal
- 1Szczesny
- 3Sagna
- 28GibbsBooked at 33mins
- 16RamseyBooked at 89mins
- 4Mertesacker
- 6Koscielny
- 10WilshereSubstituted forMonrealat 81'minutes
- 8ArtetaBooked at 79mins
- 12Giroud
- 11ÖzilSubstituted forWalcottat 90+1'minutes
- 19CazorlaSubstituted forFlaminiat 77'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Vermaelen
- 7Rosicky
- 14Walcott
- 17Monreal
- 20Flamini
- 21Fabianski
- 44Gnabry
- Referee:
- Lee Mason
- Attendance:
- 27,948
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamArsenal
- Possession
- Home43%
- Away57%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away15
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away6
- Corners
- Home3
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away8
Live Text
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Arsenal 3.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Ben Turner.
Goal!
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Arsenal 3. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Theo Walcott following a fast break.
Offside, Arsenal. Wojciech Szczesny tries a through ball, but Aaron Ramsey is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Theo Walcott replaces Mesut Özil.
Booking
Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.
Hand ball by Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal).
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Andreas Cornelius replaces Andrew Taylor.
Goal!
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Arsenal 2. Mathieu Flamini (Arsenal) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Mesut Özil with a through ball.
Attempt missed. Nacho Monreal (Arsenal) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Mathieu Flamini.
Attempt saved. Don Cowie (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Foul by Nacho Monreal (Arsenal).
Craig Noone (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt missed. Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Mikel Arteta.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Nacho Monreal replaces Jack Wilshere.
Offside, Cardiff City. Peter Whittingham tries a through ball, but Ben Turner is caught offside.
Booking
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Mikel Arteta (Arsenal).
Don Cowie (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Substitution
Substitution, Arsenal. Mathieu Flamini replaces Santiago Cazorla.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Craig Noone replaces Kim Bo-Kyung.
Attempt saved. Santiago Cazorla (Arsenal) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jack Wilshere with a through ball.
Offside, Cardiff City. Jordon Mutch tries a through ball, but Peter Odemwingie is caught offside.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Peter Odemwingie replaces Fraizer Campbell.
Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Jack Wilshere following a fast break.
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jordon Mutch (Cardiff City).
Foul by Olivier Giroud (Arsenal).
Kévin Théophile-Catherine (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Attempt saved. Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Aaron Ramsey.
Attempt saved. Kévin Théophile-Catherine (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Don Cowie.
Attempt blocked. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Andrew Taylor.
Attempt missed. Peter Whittingham (Cardiff City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left.
Attempt blocked. Kévin Théophile-Catherine (Cardiff City) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Per Mertesacker.
Attempt saved. Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Kim Bo-Kyung.
Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Ben Turner (Cardiff City).
