Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta described his side’s 6-0 thrashing of Sheffield United as “a great night” as they climbed to within two points of leaders Liverpool.
The Gunners dominated from start to finish against a Blades team who looked well beaten after Martin Odegaard, Jayden Bogle’s own goal and Gabriel Martinelli had put them 3-0 behind inside 13 minutes.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice put the irrepressible Londoners 5-0 ahead at half-time and Ben White crashed home their sixth before the hour mark.
💬 "We maintained the rhythm, the hunger and I love that about the team."
The boss on tonight''s stellar success in Sheffield 🤩 pic.twitter.com/fmrRdxXF9C
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 4, 2024
Arteta, whose side’s seventh straight league victory saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals, said: “It was a great night.
“The way we started made a difference. We were really aggressive and positive and we showed real quality in the final third to take the game into a great position for us.
“Then we maintained the rhythm, maintained the hunger and I love that about the team.”
Arsenal struck their fifth goal in the 39th minute, the earliest an away side has had a five-goal margin in Premier League history.
Arsenal are the first team to score 5+ goals in three successive Premier League away matches 🤯#SHUARS | @Arsenal pic.twitter.com/2rdAMRl0tP
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 4, 2024
But Arteta warned his side they cannot afford to drop any points between now and the end of the season if they are to pip Liverpool and Manchester City to the title.
“The fact that we’re scoring many goals and not conceding is a great sign, but it’s about winning every game now,” the Spaniard said.
“That’s the demands these two teams have set over the past few years and that’s the task ahead of us.”
Arteta confirmed Bukayo Saka was withdrawn at half-time due to illness, while Martinelli was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in the 64th minute after cutting his foot.
“We need to wait and see how it is,” added Arteta on Martinelli’s setback, which was the only downside to the evening.
The Blades, 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table, are the first side in the top four tiers of English football to concede five or more goals in four successive home games in all competitions.
They have now shipped 72 goals in 26 league matches this season and boss Chris Wilder, who returned for his second spell in charge in December, admitted a lot of his players were “broken and damaged”.
Wilder said: “It’s been a painful season, a real painful one before me and through my period.
“There’s a lot of broken and damaged players out there because this is what the league can do to you, especially when you’re off it and they’re on it. When you don’t close the gap they make it look huge.”
Wilder said he may now turn to youth for the remainder of the season – Oliver Arblaster made his Premier League debut off the bench against the Gunners – but insisted his side would not be throwing in the towel.
“What you’ll notice and see a little bit more now is the introduction of the younger players because I thought we were better when they came on,” Wilder added.
“(Andre) Brooks coming on, (Will) Osula and especially Arblaster coming on, that might be a route now.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. He's Henry. Oh, he's the new Henry. Palmer's reaction after Nicholas Jackson didn't pass the ball How people count from 1 to 7 in different countries Since Kylian Mbappe left PSG a year ago, they have...Won the one trophy he couldn't while he was there: the Champions League Knocked his new club, Real Madrid, out of the Club World Cup Ousmane Dembele: PSG's Superm...
The future of Luis Diaz remains a topic at two of the biggest member-owned clubs in world football, as Bayern Munich and Barcelona both pursue Liverpool winger Luis Diaz. The Colombian has left his future open on multiple occasions, and with no sign of a new contract on the horizon, Liverpool are stuck between a rock and a hard place.Diaz reportedly has a gentleman's agreement with Liverpool that ...
Tyler Dibling has a lot of suitors this summerThe 19-year-old caught the eye during a disastrous season for Southampton which saw them relegated from the Premier League with just 12 points.Dibling was one of a very few bright sparks of the campaign and may well make an immediate return to the top flight.The Telegraph reported earlier this year that the Saints wanted an enormous £100m for thei...
Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a fee of around £55 million ($74.7m) to sign West Ham midfielder Mohammed Kudus, a source confirmed to ESPN's James Olley.The Ghana international has agreed a six-year contract, with a medical set to take place in next 48 hours, a source added.ESPN previously reported that West Ham had rejected a £50 million ($67.9m) offer from Spurs.Kudus, 24, has an £...
Milan explore move for Leverkusen's BonifaceAC Milan have officially opened dialogue with Bayer Leverkusen regarding the potential transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface, according to Gianluca Di Marzio.Boniface previously came close to securing a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr earlier this year, but the deal ultimately did not materialise. With his future at Leverkusen uncertain, Milan...
Renato Gaucho's Fluminense were eliminated from the Club World Cup by Chelsea.Fluminense's trip to the Club World Cup semi-final should net Brazilian coaches more respect, the club's manager Renato Portaluppi said on Tuesday, after their improbable deep run in the tournament ended in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.The former striker, who steered the team to the 1995 Rio de Janeiro championship as a playe...
Yan Couto’s Club World Cup spark fuels Borussia Dortmund ambitionsBrazil international Yan Couto has his sights set on locking down a starting spot at Borussia Dortmund, with confidence high after a standout Club World Cup.The right-back featured in every match for the Bundesliga giants before their journey ended in the quarter-finals with a 3-2 loss to Real Madrid in East Rutherford.Despite...
Tottenham and Liverpool to enter transfer race for Parma defender LeoniParma defender Giovanni Leoni is wanted by several clubs this summer and now it seems like Liverpool and Tottenham have entered the race for him.The centre-back is only 18 years old, but has already made 17 Serie A appearances after enjoying a rapid rise in Serie A in recent years since joining the side for just 34.1M from Samp...
Everton sign Villarreal striker Barry: The fans here are crazy people, I like this!Everton have completed the signing of Thierno Barry from La Liga side Villarreal The 22-year-old has become the club’s second signing of the summer as manager David Moyes continues to make drastic changes to his squad ahead of the new season. Barry joins on the back of an impressive debut season in La Liga, in...
Arsenal U18 v Manchester United U18: FA Youth Cup Quarter FinalArsenal’s preparations for the 2025-26 season are underway, and one of the most eye-catching developments at London Colney this week has been the presence of 15-year-old prodigy Max Dowman in first-team training. The highly rated youngster was involved in the senior squad’s pre-season fitness and technical sessions on Wedne...
- 1 Five players ask to leave Man Utd including Rashford, Antony, Garnacho and Sancho
- 2 Diogo Jota's wife arrives at chapel where tragic star's coffin is taken
- 3 Daily Laugh - If Arsenal get Gabriel Heinze
- 4 Garnacho reveals he intends to stay in the Premier League after Man Utd departure
- 5 Lionesses captain Leah Williamson strips down to her underwear
- 6 Man Utd make shock move to Calvert-Lewin
- 7 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 8 Harry Kane, that's awful! England captain's error costs Bayern as Desire Doue & Ousmane Dembele send NINE-MAN PSG into Club World Cup semi-finals in feisty clash that sees Jamal Musiala suffer sickeni
- 9 New coach confirms Modric move to Milan
- 10 Bayern ready to rival Arsenal for Eberechi Eze and target move for Chelsea flop after losing Jamal Musiala to injury