A breathless, brutal display of attacking football saw us equal our record away win the Premier League for the second time in a matter of weeks.
Following a 6-0 win at West Ham late last month, and a 5-0 hammering of Burnley in our last away league game, we were at it again at Bramall Lane, blowing away the hosts.
Martin Odegaard opened the floodgates inside five minutes, and we never looked back. An Jayden Bogle own goal doubled our advantage before Gabriel Martinelli made it 3-0 inside 15 minutes.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it a nap hand before the break, and Ben White’s sixth in the second-half was also our all-time 10,000th goal.
We had racked up more than 20 shots during the 90 minutes, and ensured our place in the history books by becoming the first team in English league history to win three successive games by at least five goals.
EARLY ONSLAUGHT
Incredibly we had three clear chances inside the first four minutes before Odegaard did put us ahead in just the fifth minute.
Bukayo Saka hit the bar on our first attack with just 70 seconds the clock, the rebound fell to Gabriel Martinelli at an awkward height and his improvised shot with the outside of his foot was cleared off the line.
Ben White then sent a searching low cross across the face of goal that Kai Havertz just couldn’t reach.
We kept possession though, recycling the ball on the left where Declan Rice crossed low for Odegaard to tuck in from eight yards.
Odegaard then fired over and Bukayo Saka had a shot blocked before we doubled the lead.
Saka’s low cross from the right wriggled through the keeper, and looked destined for Declan Rice at the far post, but Jayden Bogle could only divert the ball into his own net.
It was a relentless start against a nervous, shell-shocked United side, and it soon got even better.
Jakub Kiwior got into the area , cut the ball back to Martinelli who tucked home inside the near post via a deflection.
We were three goals to the good with just 15 minutes on the clock, and Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder responded by bringing on an extra defender.
After a brief respite of 10 minutes, we added a fourth.
Martinelli was being pulled back as he looked to break forward, and showed the strength to set up Kai Havertz. He strode on into the area and rifled his left footed shot low into the corner.
For the third successive away game in the Premier League, the home faithful were heading for the exits early on.
Every time we came forward we forced a shot as the United defenders were chasing shadows, unable to get a foot on the ball at all, or stop any of our build up play.
It was only a matter of time before the fifth goal arrived. This time Saka was the supplier, enjoying the freedom of the right flank, before cutting back for Rice to slide home. It was Saka’s 50th first team assist in an Arsenal shirt.
It was a brutal, awe-inspiring first half of football from Mikel Arteta’s side. We became just the second side in English top-flight history to score at least five goals in three consecutive away games, after Burnley in September 1961
Saka was replaced by Fabio Vieira at half-time and the Portuguese made a storming run down the right to set up Martinelli early in the second period, but the cross was just overhit and the Brazilian couldn’t direct his acrobatic effort.
Just before the hour mark White got in on the act, and it was an absolute beauty. Kai Havertz took a long pass in his stride before setting up White inside the area. The defender lashed a first time left footed shot beyond the hapless Ivo Grbic and into the bottom corner.
It was a significant goal – our 10,000th in all competitions in our long illustrious history.
Ben White’s name will forever be in history on the back of it, and this game will also go down in the history books.
White was withdrawn shortly afterwards, with Thomas Partey brought on for his first appearance since October 8.
The final 20 minutes or so were played at a more sedate pace, but we still dominated proceedings, and had a few chances to score our seventh.
But the 6-0 win means we have now won all seven of our Premier League games in 2024 by an aggregate score of 31-3. We are hot on the heels of the leading pair, a point behind Manchester City, and two behind Liverpool with 11 games remaining
