Theo Walcott’s brace and Mesut Ozil stunner gets ten-man Gunners tied at the top after surviving late Swansea fightback

Gylfi Sigurdsson grabbed one back for the Welsh side and Borja Baston another but ten-man Gunners held on

THEO WALCOTT was cruelly denied a hat-trick as ten-man Arsenal picked up their sixth straight win and tied Man City at the top of the table.

Walcott bundled Jordi Amat off the ball from behind to score in the 26th minute and benefited from another defensive blunder seven minutes later to smash in from six yards.

Gylfi Sigurdsson got one back five minutes later after Granit Xhaka gifted him the ball and he curled one in from just outside the box.

Walcott nearly made it three but was stopped by Fabianski in the 56th minute following some stunning work by Alex Iwobi.

It didn’t matter, however, as birthday boy Mesut Ozil then volleyed home Alexis Sanchez’s cross.

Borja Baston scored from the impressive Modou Barrow’s ball for his first Swansea goal and Granit Xhaka was sent off for tripping Barrow before Walcott’s attempt at a hat-trick late on hit one post and ruled across the goal-line without going in.

FACTS, STATS, GOALS & LOLS

• Bob Bradley spent two minutes before kick-off looking around savouring the atmosphere of his first taste of Premier League football.
• At the game’s first corner, one wag in the crowd shouted ‘you can’t bring a special team on in this game’ to American Bradley.
• Shkodran Mustafi has yet to score for Arsenal, but he went close when he headed against the bar 13 minutes in.
• Arsenal must have something against shooting – they wasted five great chances in the first 20 minutes because everyone refused to pull the trigger in front of goal.
• Jordi Amat will be having nightmares over why he decided to control the ball in the area, allowing Theo Walcott to pounce for the first goal.
• As celebrations go, Mustafi lifting Walcott up and slapping his bum after his second goal is a new one to the Premier League.
• Bradley was locked in talks with assistant Alan Curtis about what to do at half-time when out of nowhere Gylfi Sugurdsson scored.
• Alexis Sanchez has plenty of talent, but someone needs to teach him the offside rule properly.
• Mesut Ozil’s brilliant volley not only helped ease Arsenal nerves, it was an ideal way to celebrate his 28th birthday.
• Borja Baston’s goal finally broke his Swansea duck since his club record £15.5million move in the summer.