Arteta responds to Sheffield Utd thrashing with warning to Arsenal title rivals

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Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal side dominate Sheffield United
Mikel Arteta saw his Arsenal side dominate Sheffield United

Mikel Arteta has warned his Arsenal history-makers are ready to turn up the title heat on Liverpool and Manchester City.

The Gunners became the first team in English football to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals as Ben White’s final goal in the six goal rout of Sheffield United was the 10,000th in the club’s history.

Arsenal can now go top if they beat Brentford on Saturday with their title rivals Liverpool and City set to meet the following day. Gunners boss Arteta said: “I don’t know if goal difference will be crucial. But we need to win the remaining games and in order to do that we have to beat Brentford.

“It was a great performance and a big result for us again with the amount of goals we scored and the clean sheet. The team shows signs of wanting more, very positive.

"We got goals against a team that is very well organised but we managed to open them up on three of four occasions.

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”It is believing in the players. They have the capacity to do it. When things are going well that helps the confidence and the players have been brilliant.

”There's a lot of ifs. We have to prepare for the game really well and earn the right to win the game. If we do those and can win it, we will see.”

Arteta responds to Sheffield Utd thrashing with warning to Arsenal title rivalsMikel Arteta celebrates in front of the travelling fans with his players (Rich Linley - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Arsenal’s only two bad points were Bukayo Saka going off with sickness at half time while Gabriel Martinelli was carried off after suffering a cut to his foot.

Arteta added: “Bukayo was feeling sick and not feeling right. With Martinelli it was a slight cut so we have to see how he is.”

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, who conceded five or more goals in a fourth consecutive home game, watched the fans vote with their feet as there was a mass exodus before the end.

Wilder said: “It’s been a painful season. I can understand why fans left before the end. They love the club. Everyone is hurting at the moment.

“Me, the coaches and the players have got to get together and see where we go before the end of the season. It’s totally unacceptable and this cannot be the stock of what happens in home games.”

John Cross

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