Giroud hits a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 4-0 at a jubilant Emirates

Olivier Giroud scored a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Aston Villa 4-0 on the final day of the season and finished above their neighbours Tottenham Hotspur for the 21st consecutive season.

Arsene Wenger’s side needed to win and Tottenham to lose for the teams to switch places on the final afternoon, but Spurs' 5-1 capitulation at Newcastle ensured it was a party-like final day at the Emirates for Arsenal.

The Gunners named a starting line-up that included Jack Wilshere for the first time this season and Santi Cazorla for the first time since November, and the hosts were predictably controlling in midfield, toying with visitors Aston Villa after taking the lead just five minutes in.

Clever interplay down the left put Nacho Monreal into space and his dinked cross fell perfectly for the unmarked Giroud to head home.

Alexis Sanchez twice went close later in the half and Wilshere really should have scored when he could only find the side-netting when picked out at the back post, but the mood around the Emirates was jubilant at half-time due to Newcastle’s 2-0 lead over Tottenham at St James’ Park.

The second half proved nervy in north London as Arsenal huffed and puffed against an increasingly spirited Villa side, while up on Tyneside Spurs pulled a goal back as Newcastle were sent down to ten men.

But in the final 15 minutes of the season everything went off.

A classic Giroud poacher’s finish made it 2-0, before the striker was picked out by Hector Bellerin to make it 3-0 just moments later. And up in Newcastle it was the Magpies who were running riot, scoring a penalty, then a fourth, and then a fifth.

The Emirates sounded as loud as it’s ever been, with beaming smiles throughout the stands, and there was even time for a heartwarming late appearance for Mikel Arteta - who had announced that he was going to retire from football after this game.

And amazingly it was Arteta who scored the fourth, smashing a shot off the underside of the crossbar and in off the back of goalkeeper Mark Bunn. The records will read "own-goal", but the Emirates didn’t care, and neither did Arteta – who was in tears during the celebrations.

Wenger has never finished lower in the league than Tottenham in his two decades in the Premier League, but for that run to continue after this season is remarkable. It has been the most Arsenal of all Arsenal campaigns – flattering to deceive and failing to stick with the pace across all competitions during the spring – while neighbours Spurs have played some scintillating football to return to the top table of the English game. But it’s now 21 years of Arsenal dominance in north London. If it didn’t happen this year, when will it happen?

Olivier Giroud (Arsenal) – The stats suggested that Giroud liked playing against Villa… and so it proved. The striker’s opened was an excellent header, his second was classic Giroud – flicked beyond the keeper at the near post – and his third was a tidy finish after a run in behind. When he plays like this you can see why Wenger hasn’t brought in a top-class centre-forward in the last few years.

Arsenal: Cech 6; Bellerin 7, Gabriel 6, Koscielny 6, Monreal 7; Coquelin 7, Wilshere 7; Cazorla 8, Özil 8, Alexis 7; Giroud 8. Subs: Elneny 6, Campbell 5, Arteta 8.

Aston Villa: Bunn 7; Toner 6, Lescott 6, Lyden 6, Cissokho 5; Idrissa Gueye 5, Westwood 5, Sanchez 5; Bacuna 6, Sinclair 6, Ayew 7. Subs: Richards 6, Grealish 5.

5’ – GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa: Arsenal have the lead and it's Olivier Giroud who's got it. Monreal's cross into the box floats towards the Frenchman, but he's left unmarked and makes Villa pay with a powerful header into the bottom corner.

32’ – MISS – Arsenal win the ball back high and floated cross finds Wilshere waiting unmarked at the back post. The Emirates rises as the fans wait for the net to bulge, but Wilshere finds the side netting.

78’ – GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Aston Villa: GOOOAAALLL!!! Olivier Giroud bags his second of the game to make it 2-0 from an Ozil assist. The Emirates is bouncing.

80’ – GOAL! Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa: Olivier Giroud has a hat-trick after timing his run to perfection and being expertly picked out by Bellerin's through-ball.

93’ – GOAL! Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa: It's an own goal after Mikel Arteta's shot came back off the crossbar and deflected in off the back of the goalkeeper.

Olivier Giroud has now scored in each of his last six appearances against Aston Villa in all competitions.

Giroud (16) is now outright top scorer for Arsenal this PL season, leading Alexis Sánchez (13).

Giroud has scored 19 headed goals since his arrival in the Premier League in 2012, more than any other player.

Tottenham not finished above Arsenal since 1995.