Arsenal put four past Everton to go five points clear

Arsenal took another step in the right direction in their quest for the 2022/23 Premier League title, with the Gunners strolling past Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night. Goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard powered the Gunners to a comfortable 4-0 win against the Toffees in North London, taking Mikel Arteta’s team five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Sean Dyche’s side headed to the Emirates as one of only three teams to beat Arsenal in the Premier League this season, and Everton showed they could take more points off the Gunners in the opening stages. Their rugged defensive shape frustrated the home side, who were unchanged from their 1-0 win at Leicester City, with Leandro Trossard continuing as the false nine.

Arsenal failed to find any offensive rhythm throughout the first half-hour against a compact block, while also facing a few hiccups of their own defensively against Neal Maupay and Dwight McNeil on the counter.

Bukayo Saka eventually produced the moment of magic needed to break the deadlock for the title-chasers in the 40th minute. Receiving Oleksandr Zinchenko’s ball on the half-turn, Saka sped into the Everton penalty area before lasering his shot past Jordan Pickford into the roof of the net, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead.

The electric Englishman also set up Arsenal’s second just a few minutes later, pick-pocketing Idrissa Gueye in a dangerous area and slipping in Gabriel Martinelli, who found the back of the net to double Arsenal’s advantage and score his third goal in three games.

It was only one-way traffic after the break as the Gunners strutted their free-flowing football and had the Everton players chasing shadows. The home side dominated the ball for the majority of the second half, and Martin Odegaard added a third in the 71st minute, latching onto a Leandro Trossard cross to fire home from close range.

Gabriel Martinelli doubled his tally nearly ten minutes later, combining with substitute Eddie Nketiah to add a fourth and put the icing on the victory.

It was a ruthless performance of the calibre of champions from Arsenal, who held on for their first Premier League clean sheet at home since the start of January to extend their gap at the top of the table. The Gunners now have a five-point cushion over Manchester City in second place and will look to continue this winning streak against another relegation-threatened side – Bournemouth – at home on the weekend.