By Daily Times Sports Reporter
In the 58th minute Arsenal scored their 10,000th goal. No, not in this game alone – although it almost felt like that as they rained in amid the dank Yorkshire drizzle – but in their illustrious 138-history.
This was probably the most one-sided game the Premier League has ever seen and the only surprise was that Arsenal scored just once in the second half, with the landmark reached through a fine strike by Ben White. It was certainly the biggest mismatch in memory.
There have been greater margins of defeat – the two 9-0s suffered by Southampton spring to mind – but never, really, a game where the difference was so vast. Especially from the start.
By the end Arsenal defender William Saliba had completed 169 passes – 27 more than the entire Sheffield United team. Arsenal had 81 per cent possession. Where did that 19 per cent for United come from? Maybe it was from restarts.
Southampton’s losses felt a little freakish. The final scoreline here hugely flattered United who have sadly thrown in the towel for this season. And it was also a ruthless statement of intent from Arsenal.
Almost as significant as the points tally was the goals tally. They are two points behind leaders Liverpool, a point in arrears of Manchester City, who play each other on Sunday, but now possess a far superior goal difference.
In what is unfolding as a tight title race that could, maybe, prove to be crucial.
For now Arsenal can just keep winning and this was their seventh in a row in the league with an aggregate of 31 goals for and three against, which is simply phenomenal. As bad as the hosts were, and they were very, very bad, Arsenal were awesomely devastating at times with the peerless Declan Rice almost untouchable in midfield. The only minor concern was Gabriel Martinelli hobbling off with a cut foot.
Records tumbled and United collapsed to become the first top-flight team to concede five or more goals in four consecutive home games. But this one will go down as one of the worst. The one where they appeared to give up and give in even if they did not concede eight as they did at home to Newcastle United earlier in this campaign.
The first 25 minutes were as bad as it could possibly be. What were manager Chris Wilder’s final words to his team before they left the changing room? They certainly did not include ‘capitulate’. But that is what they did. It was embarrassing. It was men against boys, especially when Rice was involved.
A day after Pep Guardiola hailed Phil Foden as the best player in the Premier League, here was another young English tyro being utterly dominant. Rice is the £105 million signing who is justifying that fee – and that is some claim. It is five goals and five assists for him now in the league, his best return. But more than that, it is his ability to win ball and retain possession and build pressure that is so powerful.
It was gone in 15 minutes. It was humiliating by 25 minutes. It was six goals inside the hour and the only shock after that was that there was no more. If there had been, Arsenal could have recorded the biggest-ever win in their history, which currently stands at 7-0 against Standard Liege in 1993.
Understandably Mikel Arteta made a raft of changes long before the end, including the return of Thomas Partey for his first appearance since early October and how the manager will have delighted at the cutting edge his team showed to get themselves into that comfortable position.
By contrast Wilder got it all wrong. He started with a 4-5-1 formation but went to 5-4-1 after the third goal with midfielder Oliver Norwood suffering the ignominy of being substituted so early. Wilder was left forlornly with his arms out wide. He looked as lost as his team and the home fans left in droves with those remaining booing when five minutes of added time were shown at the end of the first half. Show mercy was their message.
And the goals? Bukayo Saka had already struck the crossbar and Martinelli had a shot cleared off the line before Rice pulled the ball back for Martin Odegaard to sweep home. The dam burst and the flood came.
Saka surged past former Arsenal defender Auston Trusty far too easily – he would later do the same to Ben Osborn – with his cross rebounding off Jayden Bogle and into the net. It summed it up. Soon after Martinelli scored and then he dispossessed the hapless Anel Ahmedhodzic for Kai Havertz to drive in an angled shot.
There was a marvellous little show of defiance as the United supporters argued that Rice was taking a corner outside of the D. It must have felt like a small victory as referee Sam Barrott made him move the ball. Unfortunately for them, Rice then scored from another Saka cut-back. Oh dear.
And the record goal? It was worthy of that achievement with White teed up by Havertz and finding the net with a fierce, first-time shot into the corner. It was no consolation for United that Arsenal did not score again with the home stands almost as desolate as their hopes of staying up.
