Thomas Partey made an injury return as Arsenal cruised to a seventh successive Premier League win as they put six past a dreadful Sheffield United side at Bramall Lane.
The Gunners were 3-0 up inside 13 minutes and led 5-0 at half-time against the league’s bottom side.
Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice and Ben White scored – with an own goal from Jayden Bogle – for Mikel Arteta’s team.
The win ensures Arsenal move two points behind leaders Liverpool.
It keeps the Gunners in the thick of the title race, while in contrast, Sheffield United are 11 points from safety with just 11 games remaining.
Arsenal scored after five minutes, with the only surprise being that it took them so long. They carved United open down the left before the ball was cut back for Odegaard – unmarked 10 yards out – to slot home.
The lead was doubled in the 13th minute – Bukayo Saka’s low cross was deflected into his own net by Bogle, who got his legs in a tangle with the ball deflecting off his ankle – and was quickly extended when Martinelli fired in via a deflection after Jakob Kiwior’s cut back.
As fans once again streamed out of Bramall Lane during the first half, Havertz made it 4-0 by tucking into the bottom corner following a Martinelli through ball.
Arsenal cut through United at will, and another slick move of short passes on 39 minutes ended in Rice finishing low past the beleaguered home keeper Ivo Grbic.
The visitors did not ease up after the break, as another well-worked move ended in right-back White firing powerfully past Grbic with his left foot.
The Gunners have become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by a margin of five or more goals, while United – seemingly doomed to relegation – are the first English league side to lose four consecutive home games in all competitions while conceding five or more goals.
