Martinelli fires Gunners five points clear

Mueez Ajao

– Title-chasing Arsenal opened up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as Gabriel Martinelli’s double eased them to a 4-0 thrashing of relegation-threatened Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

– The hosts were initially frustrated by struggling Everton, but goals by Bukayo Saka and Martinelli shortly before half-time put them in command as they took maximum advantage of their game in hand over Manchester City.

– Captain Martin Odegaard made it 3-0 with a close-range finish in the 71st minute before Martinelli grabbed his second goal of the evening to complete the rout.

Also Read: Arsenal announce injured Elneny contract extension

– A third victory in succession since losing at home to City lifted Arsenal to 60 points from 25 games with City on 55.

– Everton, who now have only one victory from their last 27 league visits to Arsenal, had actually looked capable of taking something from the game.

– But once they fell behind a 14th league defeat of the season became almost a formality and they remain third from bottom with 21 points having played a game more than the teams around them.

– Everton stunned Arsenal in Sean Dyche’s first game in charge in February and for 40 minutes they did an extremely effective job at nullifying them again.

– But they caved in with half-time looming.

– Dangerman Saka had been relatively quiet but he burst into life to make the breakthrough. Given far too much time to turn after receiving a pass from Zinchenko on the right edge of the penalty area, he smashed an angled shot into the roof of the net.

– Everton’s Idrissa Gueye then gifted Arsenal a second on the stroke of half-time. The Senegal midfielder was caught napping by Saka, who nicked the ball away from him before poking a pass to Martinelli to slip a shot past Jordan Pickford.

– The visitors thought they had been spared by an offside flag, but a VAR decision overturned it and Arsenal went in at half-time to chants of “we are top of the league” from the home fans.

– With only 17 league goals all season it looked a tall order for shot-shy Everton to salvage anything and they offered next to nothing after the break.

– Odegaard fired in his side’s third from Leandro Trossard’s cut back and Martinelli confirmed the gulf between the sides late on by tapping in from Eddie Nketiah’s assist.