Arsenal keeps slim title hopes alive with Watford drubbing

Looking to avenge an embarrassing FA Cup defeat to Watford and remind naysayers that the title chase is not a two-horse race, Arsenal outclassed the Hornets on Saturday in a 4-0 victory at the Emirates.

A silky, panache-packed attacking display highlighted by goals from Alex Iwobi, Alexis Sanchez, Hector Bellerin, and a goal-starved Theo Walcott bore resemblance to the Arsenal of old, pairing dominance in possession with trademark liquid buildup.

Sanchez was stunning Saturday, scoring and assisting in a match for the first time since April, and teenage Iwobi scored in his second game on the bounce, signalling that Arsenal's found its scoring boots again.

The Gunners now sit eight points adrift of table-topper Leicester ahead of the Foxes' match with an attack-minded Southampton on Sunday, and three points behind rival Tottenham, with the Spurs travelling to Liverpool for Saturday's late fixture.

Arsene Wenger's lot has a game in hand on both and an easier schedule, with only West Ham and Manchester City standing out among the club's final eight matches.

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With that in mind, are Arsenal's narrow title hopes that unrealistic?

If Arsenal is to hoist its first Premier League trophy since 2003-04, replicating last year's run of eight consecutive victories won't be enough. Leicester needs to drop points, and Spurs need to do the same.

Anything less than a title will do little to appease those Gunners supporters calling for Wenger's head, though there are several positives to take from the club's erratic post-Christmas run.

January signing Mohamed Elneny certainly appears the part, pairing with Francis Coquelin in the middle to snuff out most of Watford's futile efforts Saturday. The Egyptian international completed 96 percent of his passes and added two successful tackles, two interceptions, and three clearances.

Oft-maligned second-choice 'keeper David Ospina was stellar when called upon. He performed well as Petr Cech looked on from the bench, calming nerves stemming from a dismal Champions League group-stage defeat to Olympiacos.

Nigerian youngster Iwobi's rise out of nowhere has given Arsenal a host of attacking options on the heels of a campaign nearly derailed by injuries, quieting talk that the club's academy has run dry.

Perhaps most importantly, Arsenal scored four goals Saturday, tallying a quartet for the first time since a September's 5-2 defeat of Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Remarkably, that's as many goals as the Gunners had in their last six home matches combined.

The title odds are long, and several things need to go Arsenal's way, but stranger things have certainly happened in football. Just ask Leicester City.