Sheffield United 0 – 6 Arsenal – Match Report

A breathless, brutal show of attacking soccer noticed us equal our file away win the Premier League for the second time in a matter of weeks.

Following a 6-0 win at West Ham late final month, and a 5-0 hammering of Burnley in our final away league sport, we have been at it once more at Bramall Lane, blowing away the hosts.

Martin Odegaard opened the floodgates inside 5 minutes, and we by no means seemed again. A Jayden Bogle personal purpose doubled our benefit earlier than Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-0 inside 15 minutes. Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it a nap hand earlier than the break, and Ben White’s sixth within the second half was additionally our all-time 10,000th purpose.

We had racked up greater than 20 photographs throughout the 90 minutes, and ensured our place within the historical past books by changing into the primary workforce in English league historical past to win three successive video games by not less than 5 objectives.

 

Early onslaught

 

Incredibly we had three clear probabilities inside the primary 4 minutes earlier than Odegaard did put us forward in simply the fifth minute. Bukayo Saka hit the bar on our first assault with simply 70 seconds the clock, the rebound fell to Gabriel Martinelli at an ungainly height and his improvised shot with the skin of his foot was cleared off the road.

White then despatched a looking low cross throughout the face of purpose that Havertz simply couldn’t attain. We stored possession although, recycling the ball on the left the place Rice crossed low for Odegaard to tuck in from eight yards.

Odegaard then fired over and Bukayo Saka had a shot blocked earlier than we doubled the lead. Saka’s low cross from the proper wriggled by way of the keeper, and seemed destined for Rice on the far publish, however Bogle might solely divert the ball into his personal internet.

It was a relentless begin in opposition to a nervous, shell-shocked United facet, and it quickly bought even higher. Jakub Kiwior bought into the world , reduce the ball again to Martinelli who tucked house contained in the close to publish by way of a deflection.

We have been three objectives to the nice with simply 15 minutes on the clock, and Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder responded by bringing on an additional defender.

 

Goals preserve flowing

 

After a short respite of 10 minutes, we added a fourth. Martinelli was being pulled again as he seemed to interrupt ahead, and confirmed the energy to arrange Kai Havertz. He strode on into the world and rifled his left-footed shot low into the nook.

For the third successive away sport within the Premier League, the house devoted have been heading for the exits early on. Every time we got here ahead we compelled a shot because the United defenders have been chasing shadows, unable to get a foot on the ball in any respect, or cease any of our construct-up play.

It was solely a matter of time earlier than the fifth purpose arrived. This time Saka was the provider, having fun with the liberty of the proper flank, earlier than chopping again for Rice to slip house. It was Saka’s 50th first-workforce help in an Arsenal shirt.

It was a brutal, awe-inspiring first half of soccer from Mikel Arteta’s facet. We grew to become simply the second facet in English high-flight historical past to attain not less than 5 objectives in three consecutive away video games, after Burnley in September 1961.

 

White’s landmark strike

 

Saka was changed by Fabio Vieira at half-time and the Portuguese made a storming run down the proper to arrange Martinelli early within the second interval, however the cross was simply overhit and the Brazilian couldn’t direct his acrobatic effort.

Just earlier than the hour mark White bought in on the act, and it was an absolute magnificence. Havertz took a protracted move in his stride earlier than organising White inside the world. The defender lashed a primary-time left-footed shot past the hapless Ivo Grbic and into the underside nook.

It was a big purpose – our 10,000th in all competitions in our lengthy illustrious historical past. White’s identify will without end be in historical past on the again of it, and this sport may also go down within the historical past books. He was withdrawn shortly afterwards, with Thomas Partey introduced on for his first look since October 8.

The closing 20 minutes or so have been performed at a extra sedate tempo, however we nonetheless dominated proceedings, and had a number of probabilities to attain our seventh.

But the 6-0 win means we’ve now gained all seven of our Premier League video games in 2024 by an combination rating of 31-3. We are scorching on the heels of the main pair, some extent behind Manchester City, and two behind Liverpool with 11 video games remaining.

FACTS AND STATS

We went 5 objectives forward of Sheffield United by the 39th minute, which is the earliest an away facet has had a 5-purpose margin in Premier League historical past. 

We are simply the second facet in high-flight historical past to attain 5+ objectives in three successive away league video games after Burnley in September 1961, whereas we’re the primary facet in English league soccer to win three successive away video games by 5+ objectives. 

Sheffield United are the primary facet in English soccer (high 4 tiers) to concede 5+ objectives in 4 successive house video games in all competitions and the primary facet in English league soccer to lose three consecutive house league video games by not less than a 5+ purpose margin.

This is the fourth time this season that Sheffield United have misplaced a house league sport by not less than 5 objectives, changing into the primary facet in a high-flight season to take action.

Bukayo Saka registered his 50th help for us in all competitions – since his debut for the Gunners in November 2018, he’s simply the sixth totally different Premier League participant to register not less than 50 objectives (54) and 50 assists in all competitions after Mohamed Salah, Son Heung-min, Bruno Fernandes, Riyad Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne.

Martin Odegaard has scored 17 Premier League away objectives because the begin of 2021/22, with the one midfielder netting extra such objectives within the competitors throughout that point being James Ward-Prowse.

Gabriel Martinelli each scored and assisted in a Premier League sport for the fourth time, with this the second time he’s achieved so in an away sport after April 2023 in opposition to Liverpool at Anfield.

Kai Havertz has each scored and assisted in every of his final two Premier League video games, changing into the primary participant for the Gunners to take action in successive matches within the competitors since Henrikh Mkhitaryan in February 2019.

Havertz’s 25th minute strike, and Arsenal’s fourth purpose of the sport – was the 150,000th scored in England’s high-flight.

Jayden Bogle’s personal purpose was the fifth time Sheffield United have put the ball by way of their very own internet within the Premier League this season, greater than every other facet within the competitors in 2023/24.

 

What’s subsequent

 

We host Brentford within the Premier League subsequent Saturday, earlier than seeking to overhaul a 1-0 first leg deficit to Porto, when the Portuguese facet go to Emirates Stadium within the Champions League Round of 16 subsequent Tuesday. We then don’t play once more for 19 days, after we head to tackle champions Manchester City on the Etihad Stadium. 

 

 

10,000 up!

Ben White’s purpose was the 10,000th we’ve scored in all senior fixtures since basis.

The first was scored by Hope Robertson in a 11-0 FA Cup win over Lyndhurst in 1889.

The objectives got here in 5,839 video games, at a charge of 1.71 per sport. The overwhelming majority got here in league soccer (8,017), with 888 within the FA Cup, 607 in European soccer, 448 within the League Cup and 40 within the Community Shield. 

Thierry Henry leads the best way among the many 535 goalscorers, with 228 objectives, whereas Everton have conceded essentially the most (367) of the 219 groups we’ve scored in opposition to.

Look out on Arsenal.com this week for an in-depth function on our 10,000 objectives.