Arsenal closed out their Premier League season with an entertaining 4-1 win over Stoke City at the Emirates Stadium.

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A brace from Robin van Persie, along with an own- oal from James Beattie and a header from Abou Diaby meant the game was effectively over by half-time, while Ricardo Fuller scored from the penalty spot for Stoke.

Improved defensive displays from both sides after the break, aided by a drop in the tempo from both midfields, ensured the score remained the same through to the finish.

Arsenal finish the season fourth, while Stoke City slip behind Wigan to 12th.

Though neither side had anything to play for on the day, comically bad defending from both the hosts and the visitors ensured a goal-filled first half in sunny North London.

Despite Stoke twice slicing through the Arsenal back line in the opening few minutes, it was the Gunners who opened the scoring courtesy of an own-goal from Beattie, who diverted Cesc Fabregas's cross beyond the stranded Steve Simonsen.

Three minutes later and Arsenal were 2-0 up after Ryan Shawcross chopped down Van Persie in the area, and the Dutchman picked himself up to tuck the penalty beyond Simonsen.

Two became three on 18 minutes as Diaby was given the freedom of the Stoke penalty area to plant home a header from Van Persie's cross, before Simonsen's nightmare afternoon came to a premature end when he trudged off with a back injury to be replaced by the semi-fit Thomas Sorensen.

Fuller finally gave the visiting fans something to cheer about as he won a penalty from a clumsy Denilson challenge, before stroking home the spot kick himself.

As porous and uncertain as Arsenal's defence may have looked, Van Persie ensured they were a constant danger in attack, and he was unlucky not to grab his second of the afternoon on 33 minutes after he saw a screaming 35-yard free-kick come back off the bar, while Sorensen acrobatically tipped Andrei Arshavin's overhead kick round the post from the follow-up.

Van Persie did not have long to wait for his second however, which arrived as something of a gift from Rory Delap. In attempting to direct the ball back to Sorensen, the big midfielder succeeded only in presenting it straight to the Dutchman, who restored Arsenal's three-goal cushion.

Perhaps having been on the end of respective ear bashings from their managers, both defences seemed to find a sense of discipline and composure entirely lacking from the first period, though Van Persie and Shawcross did pass up genuine headed chances at the start of the half.

A raft of changes around the hour-mark somewhat broke up the rhythm of the game, though Emmanuel Eboue, one of those brought on, went close with a low effort after striding forward from right-back.

That marked the last genuine chance of the game, as Arsenal switched to cruise control, seemingly content with their afternoon's work, leaving Stoke to chase in vain as they moved the ball slickly around the pitch in front of an emptying Emirates Stadium in the dying minutes.