Clinical Arsenal maul Everton to go five points clear

Arsenal beats Everton 4-0 and goes five points ahead at the top of the Premier League. Arteta happy with the win and sees title potential in his team.

Arsenal players celebrate after scoring against Everton on Wednesday at the Emirates. The Gunners won 4-0. (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

Everton gave Arsenal a hard time for the first half an hour at the Emirates, but in the end, Arsenal beat Everton 4-0 in a stunning game that put the Gunners five points ahead at the top of the Premier League table.

Mikel Arteta returned yet again with the same lineup.

This is the twelfth time this season that he has maintained the same starting lineup.

And despite the difficult start, they came back to prove their title credentials with five minutes left on the clock in the first half.

Everton defended deep for the best part of the first half but crumbled when it mattered most.

Gabriel Martinelli danced across and left the ball at the feet of Alex Zinchenko, who had taken up an inverted role; the Ukrainian slid the ball in for an unmarked Bukayo Saka, who dropped a shoulder and fired in.

It was the freedom the Gunners needed; one became two, but you must ask what Idrissa Gueye was doing on the ball.

Saka caught the Senegalese on the ball, and Martinelli pounced to double Arsenal’s advantage going into the break.

The second half was all Arsenal, and Everton was lucky it didn’t get worse than the eventual scoreline.

The hosts ran riot, controlling the entire length of the pitch, and Sean Dyche’s Everton couldn’t respond like they did a few weeks ago on home soil.

Martin Odegaard made it three after some neat work from Leandro Trossard, and then substitute Eddie Nketiah set up Martinelli for the Brazilian’s second and Arsenal’s fourth.

Saka and Martinelli have both reached double figures in goals, making Arsenal the only team with such luxury.

Five points isn’t any guarantee, but Mikel Arteta believes his group wants the title more than anyone can imagine, and he was full of smiles at his post-match conference.

"I am delighted with the win and the way we played after the first 25 minutes. We had some difficulties at the start," Arteta said. "Once we scored the first goal, the game unlocked. We needed a magic moment, and Bukayo produced that. After that, we grew and deserved to win the game.

"We played really well in the second half and could have scored more."