Aston Villa 0-3 Arsenal: Gunners score three in four minutes as Mesut Ozil, Danny Welbeck and Aly Cissokho own goal seal win

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A few early-season narratives got ripped to shreds at Villa Park, as Mesut Ozil showed his class, Arsenal displayed their steel, and Aston Villa’s stout defence was breached three times in a devastating spell of 200 seconds.

The scoreline shows a chasm between these teams when in reality the match was much closer, but Arsene Wenger’s side ruthlessly exploited their openings to prove a defeat to Borussia Dortmund should not completely colour opinions.

Wenger has been forced to defend his record purchase Ozil at various points since his £42.5million transfer from Real Madrid but none more so than in the aftermath to the German’s limp performance in the Westfalenstadion. 

Mesut Ozil evades Philippe Senderos to latch on to Danny Welbeck's pass and score Arsenal's opening goal against Aston Villa

Welbeck adds to Arsenal's lead a minute later, tapping the ball past Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan from close range for his first Gunners goal

Aly Cissokho (left) scores an own goal to make it 3-0 to Arsenal in the space of four minutes

Ozil has been played on the left to limited effect but at Villa Park he was given the vital No 10 role behind Danny Welbeck. Alexis Sanchez never made it off the bench and Aaron Ramsey was deployed alongside Mikel Arteta.

For half an hour Ozil was on the fringes of this game; dropping deep to pick up the ball, providing links to attacks that lacked potency as Villa appeared the more threatening team.

But as the clock struck 32 minutes he altered the complexion of this match and perhaps how he is viewed by pundits and supporters alike.

Escaping his marker and running beyond Philippe Senderos he collected a smart through ball from Welbeck and stroked a finish past Brad Guzan with the composure of someone born to do it.

One minute and 20 seconds later he exhibited the creative aspect of his game to hand Welbeck his first Arsenal goal on a plate. The England striker fed Ozil on the left and his cross to the six-yard box was so precise it allowed Welbeck to sprint on to it and drive a shot into the roof of the net without breaking stride. It was his first club goal since netting for Manchester United at West Bromwich Albion in March.

Villa Park was reeling. More than 40,000 had turned up off the back of an unbeaten start to this campaign that saw Paul Lambert’s team start this match in second place in the Barclays Premier League. 

They had kept Liverpool to one shot on target at Anfield and conceded only once in four league games. But soon after they had let in three goals in three minutes and 20 seconds.

Kieran Gibbs was allowed too much space on the left and his devilish ball was diverted into his own net by Aly Cissokho with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain lurking behind.

A virus had rendered Lambert without Ashley Westwood shortly before kick-off, as well as Nathan Baker, who was replaced by Ciaran Clark in central defence alongside Senderos.

Villa captain Gabriel Agbonlahor hurdles a challenge from Calum Chambers in the opening minutes at Villa Park

Welbeck (centre) produces an acrobatic effort on goal as Villa defenders Alan Hutton (right) and Senderostry to block the ball

Ozil sets himself and holds off Senderos to slot his first goal of the season past Guzan

Ozil looks like he means business as he celebrates his opening goal for Arsenal

Ozil (right) is congratulated by team-mates Welbeck (second right), Kieran Gibbs (second left) and Aaron Ramsey

Mesut Ozil's heat map after he played the 'No 10' role showed he played all across the pitch just behind the striker... for more go to our brilliant Match Zone 

For the opening 30 minutes those absences had not looked like hampering Villa, who began with purpose and energy, twice bringing fine saves from Wojciech Szczesny. 

Within three minutes of the start the Polish goalkeeper’s poor kick was seized upon by Fabian Delph, who exchanged a one-two with Andi Weimann on the edge of the Arsenal area and struck a well-placed shot to the corner of the goal.

But Szczesny dived to push round the post.

Not long before Arsenal won this game, Clark had an excellent opportunity to hand his team the lead. Tom Cleverley swung over a deep free-kick and the defender had space at the back post to head home but a star jump save from Szczesny came to Arsenal's rescue again.

That was to be as good as it got for Villa, who found out, like most of us, Arsenal are a better team than a bad night in Dortmund would have us believe.

A view from behind as Welbeck steers home Arsenal's second from close range via Guzan's face

Welbeck takes the congratulations from Chambers (centre), Santi Cazorla (left) and Ramsey (right, partly obscured) after his goal

Danny Welbeck scored his first goal for Arsenal from close range after a nice move down the left... for more go to our brilliant Match Zone

Gibbs (right) fires in the shot which led to Cissokho's own goal and Arsenal's third

Senderos (centre) tries to encourage Villa's shell-shocked players after Cissokho's own goal made it 3-0

Villa midfielder Carlos Sanchez puts in a hefty challenge on Welbeck as the hosts look to stem the tide

Fabian Delph takes the ball past England colleague Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the midfield

Oxlade-Chamberlain runs at Cissokho on a torrid afternoon for the Villa left back, who was taken off at half-time

Chambers (right) wins a header against Ciaran Clark (second right) as Arsenal clear a dead ball

Ramsey and Tom Cleverley vie for the ball during a more keenly-contested second half

Ramsey contraols the ball in midfield with Arsenal in a comfortable position at Villa Park

Roy Keane cuts a menacing figure with his foot on the ball as CHambers looks to get the game restarted quickly

Arsene Wenger is given a pre-match hug by Aston Villa's mascot and it seems the hosts' players were equally generous