Martin Zubimendi was not bought for his goals, and yet the one he fizzed across the turf and pinged into the net off the base of post against Sunderland might end up in Arsenal folklore.
It was a sublime connection, for starters. Despatched by Zubimendi with a hint of shape from the outside of his right boot. Although the real beauty was all about the timing, close to the end of an untidy opening half against spirited opponents to draw the tension from the air inside the Emirates Stadium.
Viktor Gyokeres was bought for his goals and has been criticised for not scoring enough, but his two from the bench put this game beyond Sunderland and added a gloss to a result that sent the leaders nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Gyokeres crashed his first in from 10 yards within six minutes of coming on to effectively settle the win. His second was tapped into an open goal in stoppage time and owed everything to the pace on the counter of Gabriel Martinelli who carried the ball half the length of the pitch and slipped a pass to set up the finish.
The Swede signed for £64million from Sporting Lisbon now has 13 for the season and six in his last eight appearances. His confidence tanks are replete again, which is simply one of those things that feel as if they are dropping neatly into place for Mikel Arteta as he pursues Arsenal’s first title for 22 years.
His towering centre halves are fit again. His strikers are scoring. Big summer signings are making vital contributions, and the squad looks so strong with options galore whenever he tinkers with the game.
Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring for Arsenal with a drilled finish that bounced off the post
Victor Gyokeres grabbed Arsenal’s second as the Gunners cruised to victory over Sunderland
Things might be dropping into place for Mikel Arteta in his pursuit of the Premier League title
Here, another of those tricky fixtures against unadventurous opponents overcome, with three goals all from open play and a clean sheet on a day when Aston Villa dropped two points at Bournemouth.
Arsenal have responded to the defeat against Manchester United with four wins in a row. They have scored 16 in six games since a goalless draw at Nottingham Forest. They have ridden the midwinter wobble.
One leading bookmaker never slow to spot a publicity opportunity promised to pay out on bets for Arsenal as champions before the Emirates had emptied.
The heat is on Manchester City at Liverpool even if nobody is getting carried away in N5. ‘We still have to win so many games to achieve what we want, there is no focus on that,’ said Arteta, but the Arsenal boss was content.
It was a mature performance by his team. Sunderland sat deep, well-organised and industrious as ever. Brian Brobbey and Habib Diarra made life uncomfortable for William Saliba and Gabriel on the break and the visitors were dangerous at set pieces.
Kai Havertz, preferred to Eberechi Eze in the absence of Martin Odegaard, glanced a free header wide inside the first minute and with it missed the chance to seize the initiative before the game descended into a disjointed pattern.
Arsenal dominated but rarely penetrated. Declan Rice whistled one just wide from distance before Zubimendi’s goal from a pass by Leandro Trossard gave them an element of comfort just before half time. The relief and release of pressure was clear.
Within seconds Gabriel Jesus sped clear and thought he had won a penalty when bundled over by Dan Ballard as he shimmied around keeper Robin Roefs but as referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot a flag was raised for offside. Replays showed Jesus had both feet inside is own half as he set off, but the VAR technology ruled his lean of anticipation had taken the top half of his body into an offside position.
Gyokeres added a third in injury time to cement Arsenal’s dominant win on Saturday afternoon
Regis Le Bris’s Sunderland side sat deep but Arsenal broke them down and managed the game
Havertz also went close to a second, bursting clear and curling a left footer narrowly wide of the far post from the edge of the penalty area.
More VAR confusion brought the first half to a close when Sunderland claimed a foul on Ballard at a corner. The incident was checked and not given, which was just as well because most of the Arsenal team had disappeared down the tunnel.
Once ahead, Arsenal managed the game well. There was a scare when David Raya saved early in the second half from Enzo Le Fee, but Arteta’s team looked solid and eased further clear soon after two changes on the hour.
Gyokeres and Martinelli came on and were both influential as the game became stretched and more space appeared. Gyokeres claimed his first with a fierce finish at the end of a move featuring a crisp pass through the defensive lines by Trossard and a square ball from Havertz.
Martinelli created Arsenal’s third for Gyokeres who was taken out by a late challenge as he applied the finish.
They go to Brentford next. Whisper it, but Arsenal have the look of champions.
