Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud sealed Arsenal a 2-0 win at Southampton to boost their hopes of a top-four finish.

The Gunners came into the match at St Mary’s on the back of a moral-boosting 2-0 win against Manchester United on Sunday and knew they had to collect another three points in order to stay in touch with the Premier League's top-four places.

And, following a lacklustre first half, Arsene Wenger’s men took the lead through Sanchez on the hour before he had a hand in the second for Giroud seven minutes from time.

The win sees Arsenal move above United into fifth spot – three points behind Manchester City in fourth with three games remaining.

The Saints remain in mid-table with 42 points from their 35 matches.

Southampton started the brighter of the two sides without creating any clear cut opportunities and it was Arsenal who went close on 14 minutes when wing-back Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain weaved his way into the area following a corner before teeing up Aaron Ramsey who failed to get a good connection on his effort and the ball trickled wide of the post.

Arsenal then enjoyed some good possession but it was the hosts who had the next chance to break the deadlock on 31 minutes.

Dusan Tadic saw his effort blocked by Shkodran Mustafi and the ball broke to Manolo Gabbiadini who was in on goal, but the Italian hitman was denied by a good save from Petr Cech.

Nathan Redmond then forced Cech into another fine save as the Saints finished the half the stronger of the two sides.

Steven Davis wasted a decent chance to put the Saints ahead early in the second half when he produced a poor finish after being played in by Gabbiadini.

At the other end Ramsey diverted a Hector Bellerin cross wide of the post on 50 minutes.

However, Arsenal took the lead out of nothing on the hour when Mesut Ozil picked out Sanchez in the area and he wrong-footed both Maya Yoshida and Jack Stephens before firing past Fraser Forster.

Gabbiadini almost equalised on 72 minutes but he sent his header from a Cedric Soares cross wide of the goal.

But Arsenal killed the game on 83 minutes when Ramsey headed a Sanchez cross to the back post into the path of Giroud who finished from close range just minutes after stepping off the substitutes’ bench.