6 talking points as Arsenal destroy Sheffield United to gain edge in title race
Arsenal devastatingly hit Sheffield United for six in a Monday night mauling to keep pace at the top of the Premier League table.
Mikel Arteta 's free-scoring Gunners struck three times in the opening 15 minutes, pummelling their opponents with another statement of title intent. Droves of home supporters trudged out of Bramall Lane and headed out before the Blades suffered further embarrassment, with Arsenal leading by five unanswered goals at the break.
Ben White got in on the act with a left-footed strike to make it six before the only blot for the Gunners, as Gabriel Martinelli limped off with an injury. It's now seven wins in a row for the increasingly rampant Arsenal, who became the first English league side to win three successive away games by a margin of five or more goals, all while rudderless Sheffield United remain rock bottom.
Here are six talking points from a night of intensely contrasting emotions at Bramall Lane.
1. Arteta's fast starters break new ground
Keep it tight in the first 15 minutes, some managers say to their team just as they're about to walk onto the pitch. Mikel Arteta, on the other hand, tells his players to go and win the game.
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For the fifth time in their last seven Premier League games, Arsenal broke the deadlock within the first 18 minutes. Here, though, the Gunners marvellously managed to score three inside the first quarter of an hour, with Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli and a Bukayo Saka-forced own goal doing the damage for a shellshocked Sheffield United.
Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Burnley and Newcastle have all been on the end of Arsenal's rapid starts since the winter break, but no one suffered quite as badly as the Blades.
Arsenal are earning a reputation as fast starters (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)2. Wilder sees enough - like his fans
What's more remarkable to see as a football fan - fans walking out after 15 minutes or a player being subbed off inside quarter of an hour? In this case, how about both?
Like plenty of apathetic home supporters at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder had simply had enough by the time Arsenal led 3-0 and decided to substitute Oliver Norwood, bringing on Ben Osborn and returning to a three-man back line. The long-serving midfielder's premature departure was the personification of one of the worst starts to a Premier League game from any team in its history, as the Blades crept towards the record for most goals conceded at this stage of a top-flight campaign, which was the 74 Ipswich Town had shipped in the 1962-63 season.
Goal number 71 came soon after Norwood's exit, with Kai Havertz lashing home past Ivo Grbic, as the exodus in South Yorkshire continued with just 25 minutes on the clock.
Chris Wilder hooked Oliver Norwood after 15 minutes (Michael Regan/Getty Images)3. Five-star first half
Look at it from either angle - sublime by Arsenal or atrocious from Sheffield United - but you might never see a half of football above Sunday league level like this again. Symptomatic of their red-hot form, everything Arsenal touched in the first 45 minutes turned to gold, with their unchanged side displaying a level of confidence possibly unmatched by their title rivals.
The same applies to Sheffield United at the other end of the table, with the likes of Burnley, Luton, Nottingham Forest and Everton all delighted to see such a weak display from the bottom side. When Declan Rice made it five with a coolly-taken finish in the 39th minute, courtesy of Saka's second assist of the game, it felt like the goal to wrap things up.
But there was a whole other half of football to go, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher labelling the Blades' first-half performances a "disgrace" and 'one of the worst performances he's ever seen'.
Your turn! Is Sheffield United's first-half performance the worst you've ever seen? Join the debate in the comments section.
Sheffield United look nothing but doomed (Michael Regan/Getty Images)4. Welcome returns for Jesus and Partey
What better way to ease yourself back into the grove of Premier League football than when your team are 6-0 up at a half-empty away ground? A niggling knee injury had restricted Gabriel Jesus to just two appearances in 2024 prior to Monday night's mauling, while Thomas Partey had been missing since the middle of October. They both came on midway through the second half, allowing Arteta to take off a number of players who've got more than enough minutes in their legs.
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The Arsenal manager is still waiting on returns for defensive trio Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Jurrien Timber, but Arsenal's squad is beginning to flesh out at the perfect time, with the Gunners' Champions League hopes still alive despite a 1-0 defeat to Porto in the first leg.
5. Concern for Martinelli
One player to make way ended up being an enforced change, as Martinelli hobbled off after a coming together on the edge of Sheffield United's penalty area. The Brazilian forward didn't look too distressed, but anything that could disrupt Arsenal's blistering momentum will no-doubt be a worry for Arteta on a night where, for the most part, he could truly sit back and relax.
6. Gunners go ahead of Liverpool for goals
While they're still behind Manchester City and Liverpool in the table, Arsenal now boast the best goal difference in the title race by six. The Gunners' incredible run has seen them gain the upper hand in what could prove to be the decisive battle come the end of the season. But as Arteta will know, it'll be Arsenal's point tally which truly counts.
Chris Wilder will certainly feel the same, with Sheffield United now 15 goals worse off than next-worst side Burnley when it comes to their goal difference. The Blades remain 11 points adrift of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, although a looming points deduction could offer those Bramall Lane a glimmer of hope.
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