The fight for Champions League qualification from the English Premier League intensified Sunday, with Arsenal dismantling Aston Villa in its biggest win of the season and Southampton surrendering third place after a surprise home loss to Swansea.

Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott were among Arsenal’s five different scorers in a 5-0 win at Emirates Stadium, continuing the free-scoring form of Arsene Wenger’s team and leaving relegation-threatened Villa without a goal in six games — an unwanted club record.

Arsenal stayed fifth but is now level on points with Southampton, which was caught out by a late Jonjo Shelvey shot and had left back Ryan Bertrand sent off in the last 10 minutes of a 1-0 defeat.

Third-place Manchester United and seventh-place Liverpool are separated by five points after 23 games.