Arsenal held on to a 2-1 win against a spirited Leicester City to secure all three points.
Nigel Pearson’s side had a superb chance to open the scoring after just two minutes at Emirates stadium as Riyad Mahrez played the ball in to the box only to see his effort cause problems for David Ospina.
Mahrez continued to impress and cause problems for the Arsenal back-line and he picked out Esteban Cambiasso moments later but the Argentine midfielder failed to convert from close range.
That chance seemed to spur Arsenal on and they took the lead thanks to an impressive finish from central defender Laurent Koscielny, who beat Mark Schwarzer.
Arsene Wenger’s side doubled their advantage before the break as Theo Walcott tapped home from close range after Mesut Ozil was denied by Schwarzer.
Wenger’s side then pressed for a third early in the second half but the likes of Santi Cazorla and Tomas Rosicky were unable to find the back of the net.
Leicester continued to attack and search for a way back into the game and they did get that through January signing Andrej Kramaric, who rifled the ball into the bottom corner.
The visitors pressed for an equaliser and came close through Mahrez and Kramaric but Ospina remained a tough form of opposition for Pearson’s struggling side.
Leonardo Ulloa came close late on but Arsenal held on to leapfrog Manchester United into the final Champions League place.