Sheffield United were humiliated by Arsenal on Monday night, as the Gunners scored six goals in the first half to equal their record away win in the Premier League. It was the earliest point at which any side has gained a five-goal advantage in Premier League history.
Arsenal were ruthless from the start, as Martin Odegaard opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a low shot from inside the box. The visitors doubled their lead seven minutes later, when Jayden Bogle turned Bukayo Saka’s cross into his own net. Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-0 in the 14th minute, finishing off a cut-back from Jakub Kiwior.
The Blades were shell-shocked and had no answer to Arsenal’s relentless attack. Kai Havertz added a fourth goal in the 24th minute, after shrugging off a challenge from Martinelli. Declan Rice scored the fifth goal in the 38th minute, sliding in Saka’s pass from the right. Ben White completed the rout in the 57th minute, heading in Odegaard’s corner.
Arsenal had 80% possession and 23 shots on goal, while Sheffield United managed only one shot off target. The hosts were booed off by their fans, who had seen enough of their dismal performance. Chris Wilder, who had changed his formation and personnel in an attempt to stem the tide, admitted that his players had not followed his instructions and looked “broken and damaged”.
Arsenal, on the other hand, were jubilant, as they moved within two points of the top of the table, behind Liverpool and Manchester City. The Gunners have now won three consecutive away games in the Premier League by at least five goals, a feat that has never been achieved before in English league history. Mikel Arteta praised his team’s “fantastic” display and urged them to “maintain the momentum” in the title race.