ARSENAL EXTEND PREMIER LEAGUE LEAD WITH 3-0 WIN OVER SUNDERLAND
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By: Sefiu Ajape
Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon, securing a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions and stretching their lead at the top of the Premier League table to nine points.
The contest was evenly balanced for the opening 40 minutes before Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring with a “well-taken, drilled effort low in off the post,” handing the hosts a deserved advantage.
A post-match report on the Arsenal website disclosed that the Spanish midfielder’s strike, described as a “wonderful, crisp finish from our summer signing,” was his fifth Premier League goal of the season.
Sunderland held their own for much of the first half, although Arsenal almost took the lead inside the opening 30 seconds. Leandro Trossard danced along the right byline and delivered a cross into the box, where Kai Havertz climbed unmarked but headed wide.
The visitors also enjoyed spells of pressure. Trai Hume sliced a clearance just over his own crossbar from a Noni Madueke inswinging delivery, while Declan Rice fired a long-range effort that “just fizzed wide of the post.”
Arsenal took full control in the second half through the impact of their substitutes, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring twice. He netted his first “midway through the second period, smashing home from a Kai Havertz pass,” only minutes after coming on. He wrapped up the scoring deep into injury time, “sliding in from Gabriel Martinelli’s pass on the break,” to take his tally to 13 goals in his debut campaign. The clean sheet was Arsenal’s 21st in all competitions, surpassing their total from the whole of last season.
Despite Arsenal’s dominance in possession, Sunderland threatened early in the second half. Chemsdine Talbi bent a low shot towards the far corner, but David Raya got a hand to it before William Saliba cleared the danger. Gabriel was also required to make a perfectly timed challenge in the box shortly afterwards to deny a potential equaliser.
A controversial moment followed when Arsenal appeared to have won a penalty after Jesus was knocked over after rounding the goalkeeper, but VAR ruled the striker was “marginally offside as he ran from the halfway line.”
Arsenal will next travel to West London to face Brentford in a midweek Premier League fixture on Thursday, before returning to the Emirates Stadium next Sunday to host League One side Wigan Athletic in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
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