Premiere League Update: Dominant Arsenal Crush Sheffield United 6-0
Arsenal trounced Sheffield United 6-0, reaffirming their position as contenders in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal defeated Chris Wilder’s squad 6-0 to go back within striking distance of title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the table. The Gunners added Sheffield United to their list of thoroughly humiliated teams.
The Gunners led five goals at the break owing to goals from Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, and Declan Rice. They had recently defeated West Ham 6-0 and Burnley 5-0 on the road.
Sheffield United’s performance was dubbed a “disgrace” and “the most one-sided games of football I’ve ever seen” by Jamie Carragher. Ben White’s incredible score after the interval added to the home team’s suffering.
More happiness for Arsenal came with the injured returns of Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, and Fabio Vieira, who strengthened the Gunners’ bench. However, Gabriel Martinelli was lost to a concerning injury in the second half.
The Gunners know they can top the Premier League if they defeat Brentford at home on Saturday Night Football. Rivals Liverpool and Manchester City play each other the following day on Super Sunday. The Gunners have now scored 31 goals in their previous seven league games.
With 11 games left, Sheffield United, who watched their supporters abandon Bramall Lane following Arsenal‘s third goal on the fifteenth, is still 11 points from safety. They also have a goal differential of minus 50 due to their 72 goal conceded in 27 league games this season.
Chris Wilder, the manager, had all but given up on the Blades’ relegation struggle. “It’s been a difficult season, and the boys are a broken team of athletes. That’s beyond a doubt. They’ve had to absorb some setbacks as a team during this demanding season “, he remarked.
“Players, coaches, and managers all need to accept responsibility, whether it’s for themselves or for anything else. We are unable to avoid that.
“It might be time for me to take a quick look at who leads us in these upcoming ten or eleven games. Perhaps the players that came on at halftime—[Ollie] Arblaster, [Andre] Brooks, and [Will] Osula—will be the ones to move things along a little bit. I have to make a few important decisions.
Arsenal closes on Man City and Liverpool
After just 75 seconds, Saka struck the post and Jack Robinson had to clear Martinelli’s close-range shot off the line, sending a strong message to Sheffield United.
After thirty minutes, the Blades were not released with such ease. Rice was fed by Jorginho on the left byline, and he returned the ball to Odegaard, who finished easily into an empty net.
The captain of Arsenal came dangerously close to adding a second when he curled a shot over, but the Gunners quickly took the lead when Saka ran too easily past Auston Trusty down the right and his low cross was headed into the net by a clumsy Bogle.
When Rice won the ball high up and fed Jakub Kiwior on the overlap, Arsenal made it three goals almost immediately. The ball was dragged back to Martinelli by the Polish defender, and his deflected shot went in.
Manager Wilder made a change as the Sheffield United supporters started to flee, replacing Oliver Norwood with Ben Osborn as an additional defender to stop the onslaught Saka, but Arsenal’s left side kept scoring as they made it four.
Deep in the Blades half, Martinelli opened Ahemdhodzic’s pocket and released Havertz in the box, where the striker finished easily into the far corner. Saka then made his way back down the right for No. 5, jinking past Osborn, the substitute, to discover an unmarked Rice in the box, who easily swept home.
Saka’s final move of the match came when he was substituted for the returning Vieira at halftime, while the Gunners kept pushing forward. Ivo Grbic, the goalie, stopped Rice’s free kick at the near post, and Martinelli missed the target.
White scored Arsenal’s sixth goal with a left-footed rocket after Havertz’s excellent take-down and ball in the box. Both Jesus’ late finish after coming off the bench and Kiwior’s close-range header late in the game failed to find the back of the net.
Even though Martinelli hobbled off in the latter part of the game, the Gunners had an incredible, record-breaking night to remember.
Henry: Arsenal are performing great right now
Thierry Henry, the record goalscorer for Arsenal, said during Monday Night Football:
“They took Bukayo Saka off the field [at halftime], they did not concede, they have different scorers, and they continued to play the way Mikel Arteta wants to play right now. But it is important to do this kind of thing, which is why sometimes, when you lead well in any Premier League game, make sure you rest.
The conversation about them needing to get a striker in January has me happy since everyone seems to be agreeing they should, but they also need to finish their opportunities.
“Will they pursue a large striker in the upcoming summer? That’s a conversation for another day. They simply weren’t putting the ball in the back of the net, even though they were creating.
“I can’t celebrate too much if at the end I don’t see you holding the trophy, even though the way we are playing right now is amazing. However, I am quite content.”
