In situations such as these, with the rain pouring down and facing an opponent with nothing to lose, it is nights like these that can cause unforeseen challenges in the title race, especially when your top competitors have already secured victories earlier in the weekend.
Unfortunately, it seems that no one informed Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team about this issue. The only thing that fell today were records. This was their seventh consecutive win in the league, bringing them within two points of the top spot held by Liverpool. With this victory, Arsenal has now become the first team in English league history to win three away games in a row with a margin of five or more goals. To put it bluntly, they could have won by a much larger margin than the six goals they declared against a struggling Sheffield United team, who are on their way down to the Championship with minimal resistance.
Arteta and his team were expected to win, but it was the impressive execution that stood out in this match. For the first 45 minutes, Arsenal played nearly flawlessly. While their opponents were not at their best, the way Arsenal attacked was truly impressive. The tone was set right from the start, with Bukayo Saka hitting the crossbar and Gabriel Martinelli coming close soon after. Martin Ødegaard then opened the scoring and the floodgates, setting the pace for the rest of the match.
At the 15th minute, the score was 3-0 after a great pass into the goal from Jayden Bogle and Martinelli scored the third goal. Even at this early point in the game, it was evident that Arsenal would win by a large margin. The final score was six goals, with five of them scored before halftime. However, Arteta and the players seemed to relax after this, possibly with their focus already on Saturday’s match against Brentford. A win in that match would put them at the top of the Premier League, ahead of Liverpool and Manchester City’s game on Sunday.
Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the evening, acknowledging the challenges of playing away. He attributed the success to their aggressive and positive start, showcasing strong skills in the attacking zone. The team’s maintained momentum and hunger were commendable traits, and Arteta emphasized the importance of continuing to perform well. This is all about consistency and preserving the momentum.
After scoring their third goal, Chris Wilder made changes by substituting Oliver Norwood and shifting to a back five. However, it didn’t make a significant impact as Arsenal’s superior quality prevailed. This was evident when Kai Havertz easily scored their fourth goal, leaving goalkeeper Ivo Grbic helpless. With six minutes to go before halftime, many home fans left as Saka continued to cause chaos in the hosts’ defense, setting up Declan Rice for a magnificent finish and raising questions about how many records and goals Arsenal would achieve by the end of the night.
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After the restart, they noticeably decreased their intensity, exemplified by the choice to replace Saka during half-time due to an illness. It was unnecessary to take any risks with the 22-year-old, and Sheffield United was certainly relieved to see him leave, but the harm had already been inflicted. They have allowed five or more goals in four consecutive games at home, and a staggering total of 72 goals in the league this season.
Their descent into the Championship is evident, and this display highlights just how much they are lagging behind in the Premier League. Wilder shared, “We believed we had a plan for a strong performance, but basic errors in defense, truly disheartening ones, have caused us harm. It was far too effortless for the opposing team, who seemed to be playing on a different level and planet than us.”
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Fortunately for Wilder and his team, Arsenal decreased their level of intensity. The second half only saw one goal, but it was arguably the best of the bunch, with Havertz setting up Ben White for a remarkable curved shot that flew past Grbic, making it six goals total. If Arsenal had wanted more, they likely would have achieved it. The only concern for Arsenal was Martinelli being substituted due to a cut on his foot, which will be evaluated in the next few days.
At that point, approximately one half of the seating in three sections of Bramall Lane were unoccupied. The historically significant club seemed to be accepting their inevitable outcome and it’s not hard to understand why, especially in situations like this.
However, it must be noted that even though Wilder’s team performed poorly, they were completely outplayed by Arsenal’s impressive first half. Unlike the previous year when their chances at the title crumbled, this season their progress is gaining momentum at a pivotal time. It is certain that Liverpool and Manchester City are also aware of this.
Source: theguardian.com
