Evening all. Presumably Arsene Wenger is hoping that Sunderland produce their best performance of the season, in order to protect the integrity of the competition....

So, after a soft first half, Arsenal were much better in the second. They need to beat Everton on Sunday and hope Liverpool fail to beat Boro or Watford beat Man City, with a goal difference swing of at least five - City are still playing - to secure a 20th straight season of "Champions League football".

Night!

Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland

Nice ball from Xhaka for Walcott, who might shoot early but instead turns and checks, allowing the pair of defenders tracking him to block.

There shall be three added minutes.

Arsenal could use another goal for the goal-difference - they're currently two behind Liverpool.

A chunky-looking Januzaj seems to have come on for Sunderland, I guess after the second goal; Manquillo went off. And now, N'Dong departs, Gibson replacing him.

Arsenal win a corner down the right, and Mustafi jumps high above O'Shea ... but what a save Pickford! He tips the ball against the bar, and in the ensuing melee the ref sees an attacking foul.

Walcott replaces Giroud.

Sanchez bores forward at inside-left and exchanges passes with Ozil. He should shoot, especially given the overness of this game and the hat-trick that he's on. But he goes for beauty, looking to feed the ball back, but instead contacts Jones's shins.

I'm backing Arsenal to win from here.

GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Sunderland (Sanchez) Bellerin arcs a cross into the box and Giroud does superbly to leap with his feet up, diverting the ball back towards goal. Pickford tips it away, but only as far as Sanchez, who nods home from under the bar.

Iwobi takes the ball on the edge of the box, right-hand side, and skirts around the outside to fire in a low, hard shot ... yet again, Pickford saves, and does brilliantly to get such a strong hand to it, taking the rebound away from the onrushing Giroud.

Again, Ozil finds space on the left and pulls back for Xhaka ... he's too delberate with his shot, and Pickford saves again.

It's absolutely caning it down in N4, which is odd, as in N3 we're all good.

Off goes Cattermole; on comes Gooch, his first appearance in six months following an ankle injury.

Pickford makes another fine save, from Sanchez. The flag goes up, but he wasn't to know and has been excellent tonight.

Sanchez burrows forward so Cattermole brings him down. Of course he does.

GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Sunderland (Sanchez) The ball goes wide left to Ozil, then back inside to Xhaka. With no pressure on him, he scoops a lovely return pass, Ozil catches it on the half-volley just by the by-line, and caresses a cross that Sanchez runs into the net. That was very nicely done indeed.

Ozil looks for Iwobi, but Oviedo intercepts - only for the ball to roll into Welbeck's stride. He lashes a shot towards the far corner, which Pickford has to dives to poke away.