Alexandre Lacazette bagged a brace at Bramall Lane

Premier League

SHEFFIELD UNITED 0
ARSENAL 3 (Lacazette 33, 85, Martinelli 71)

ARSENAL will travel to Prague this week in “better spirits” after ending a four-game winless streak by thumping Sheffield United 3-0 tonight (Sunday).

Alexandre Lacazette bagged a brace, while Gabriel Martinelli scored in his first start since January as the Gunners beat the Blades 3-0 at Bramall Lane.

It’s the perfect tonic for Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of their Europa League quarter-final second-leg tie away to Slavia Prague on Thursday, where Arsenal will have to score to stand any chance of staying in the competition after drawing the first-leg 1-1.

“We had a really strong performance,” said the Gunners boss. “And we got a clean sheet which was needed after a long run without it.

“We were very efficient, intelligent and composed with the ball, which I am very pleased with. We showed dedication, understanding and it was the right attitude so overall, I’m very happy.

“A win always brings confidence, better spirits, better atmosphere and better energy, and we’ll need all that on Thursday to go through.”

With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing the match against Sheffield United through illness, Lacazette took charge of getting the goals.

And on 33 minutes the French forward lit-up not only the match, but possibly the remainder of Arsenal’s campaign as he scored one of the goals of the season.

Some lovely one-touch football around the edge of the penalty area between Lacazette, Bukayo Saka, Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos resulted in the latter backheeling a flick into Lacazette, who calmly slid the ball beneath Aaron Ramsdale.

Arsenal were always in control, but they had to wait until the 71st minute to get the all-important second goal. Martinelli reacted quickest to tap the ball into an empty net after Ramsdale had parried Nicolas Pepe’s shot, registering his first goal in 446 days since scoring against Chelsea in January 2020.

There was still time for a third, with Lacazette racing onto Partey’s exquisite through-ball before firing beyond Ramsdale to wrap up a convincing and one-sided 3-0 win.

It wasn’t all good news for Arsenal, however. Midway through the second-half Saka limped off with a thigh injury, making him a doubt for the second-leg of the Europa League last-eight tie on Thursday.

Arteta said: “He had discomfort in his thigh and it’s the last thing that we need because we’re missing some big players at the moment and we don’t want to lose another one. Hopefully, it’s not that serious.”

Sheffield United: Ramsdale, Ampadu, Egan, Stevens, Baldock, Fleck, Lundstram, Norwood, Osborn, Burke (Brewster, 64), McGoldrick (McBurnie, 64), McBurnie (Mousset, 83)
Substitutes not used: Foderingham, Lowe, Jagielka, Bogle, Bryan, Ndiaye

Arsenal: Leno, Chambers, Holding, Mari, Xhaka, Partey, Ceballos, Saka (Willian, 69), Pepe, Martinelli (Elneny, 83), Lacazette (Nketiah, 89)
Substitutes not used: Ryan, Bellerín, Gabriel, Cedric Soares, Nelson, Azeez