ARSENAL thrashed Sheffield United 6-0 at Bramall Lane to keep up their tilt for the Premier League title.
In a truly dominant performance, the flying Gunners led 3-0 inside the first 25 minutes and 5-0 before half-time.
Ben White then made it six with five different goalscorers in the books for Arsenal, who now know a win over Brentford on Saturday will see them top the league before Liverpool face Manchester City the following day.
- Sheff Utd starting XI: Grbic; Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson; Bogle, Norwood, Vinicius Souza, Hamer, Davies; McAtee, McBurnie
- Arsenal starting XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Jorgnho, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
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Arsenal with chance to lay marker
With Brentford to come to The Emirates on the weekend, The Gunners can go top of the table.
With Liverpool and Man City playing each other on the weekend, psychologically, it could be a big advantage.
Arsenal have winnable fixtures coming up, along with a tricky trip to The Etihad to play Pep Guardiola’s side.
Blades lacking that cutting edge in league
It was a fourth consecutive home game where Sheff Utd have conceded five or more goals.
They have looked well out of their depth in the Premier League and you cannot see that changing between now and the end of the season.
The season has been a harsh lesson for the club and even more testing for their passionate fans.
Skipper leads the way to victory
Martin Odegaard was involved in everything Arsenal did well tonight.
Sheff Utd allowed the player the time and space to pull the strings for The Gunners all evening.
Confidence will be growing in North London, feeling they have what it takes in this season’s title race.
FT: Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
It was one-way traffic from start to finish at Bramall Lane.
Chris Wilder’s side offered no resistance whatsoever.
Arsenal move to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
FT: Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
The referee puts the hosts out of their misery.
Arsenal get all three points with a demolition job of Chris Wilder’s side.
Sheff Utd are heading back to the Championship if they keep getting beat like this.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
90+4. Man of the match is awarded to Martin Odegaard.
The Arsenal skipper has put in a good shift this evening, getting a goal in the process.
He tries to scoop the ball over the defence for Partey but it is easily gathered by the Sheff Utd keeper.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
90+2. Mikel Arteta will want his side to ensure a clean sheet now.
He seemed annoyed when they gifted Newcastle a consolation goal at The Emirates in their last game.
Raya has had very little to do this evening.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
90. Credit where it’s due to the Sheff Utd fans who have stayed.
This must have been a tough watch from start to finish.
To rub salt into the wound we are going to have five additional minutes.
Credit: AFP Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
88. Partey plays a lofted ball to Jesus in the box.
He takes the ball down brilliantly but tries to beat one player too many instead of getting a shot away.
His blushes are spared as the flag goes up for offside.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
86. The way it is looking this season, The Blades could be heading to beat Swindon Town’s unwanted record.
In the 1993/94 season they conceded 100 goals in the Premier League.
That was over 42 matches before the number of teams in the league was reduced.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
84. Havertz plays the ball into Jesus in the box.
He drops his shoulder and cuts onto his right foot, looking to bend one in the far corner.
Grbic gets down well to turn the ball around the post.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
82. Osula runs through towards the Arsenal goal.
He has no support and two Arsenal defenders in front of him.
The Sheff Utd attacker tries his luck from distance but it is high and into the stands.
Credit: Reuters Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
80. Partey looks to lift a ball over the top of Jesus.
The Brazilian tries to pull it out of the air but cannot get anywhere near it.
It runs through to Grbic for an easy gather.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
78. The ball is clipped into the box and Kiwior has a free header in the middle of the goal.
He gets it all wrong as he puts it well wide of the goal.
Should be really testing the keeper from there as a minimum.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
76. Odegaard slides the ball into Jesus.
He looks to square the ball for a tap in but it is blocked by Robinson, at the expense of a corner.
Chance for The Gunners to get another goal from a set piece.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
74. Rice comes off for Trossard as Arteta looks to rest his players.
The result was never in doubt here from about the fourteenth minute of this game.
Most of the Sheff Utd fans have gone home now.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
72. Arsenal’s winter break to Dubai seems to have invigorated this team.
They have not looked back since the turn of the year, having their best run of form of the season.
It all remains to be seen how far they get in the Champions League also now as that will surely put pressure on the depth of their squad.
Credit: Getty Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
70. This was never going to be one of The Gunners’ tricky away fixtures in their remaining games.
Most people are wondering what records there are to be broken now.
Here are some of Arsenal’s biggest wins in the club’s history.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
68. Let’s not forget that this Sheff Utd side lost 8-0 at home earlier in the season against Newcastle.
If there is any positive spin on the scoreline, at least it’s not their heaviest defeat of the season.
The Blades have now conceded 72 goals this season.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
66. The way Martinelli was unable to put any weight on that injury did not look good for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that Gabriel Jesus can get some much needed game time without aggravating the knee once again.
Another goal would mean The Gunners matching their biggest ever away scoreline in any competition.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
64. Martinelli limps off with a foot injury.
Arteta replaces the winger with Jesus.
The manager also brings on Cedric and Partey for Jorginho and White.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
62. Bogle passes the ball through two Arsenal players finding Baldock.
He looks to get to the byline and cross but Raya gathers with no Sheff Utd player making the run to the near post.
Martinelli is down injured again, he has spent more time on the grass than most lawnmowers in this second half.
Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
60. Some of these Sheff Utd players will have PTSD after this.
There is still over half an hour remaining, this could be any scoreline at Bramall Lane.
The only thing you would not predict is a goal for the hosts the way this game is panning out.
Credit: Getty Sheff Utd 0-6 Arsenal
58. Arsenal just continue to look play through The Blades.
As Havertz pulls the ball down, he lays it off into the path of White.
The defender strikes a left-footed shot into the far corner to make it six.
Goal – Ben White (Arsenal)
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
