Arsenal put on a show at the London Stadium as they responded emphatically to Liverpool and Manchester City winning on Saturday. The Gunners dominated from the outset but really made their total superiority count in a blistering 15-minute spell before half-time.
Goals from William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes ensured a fine day for the defence, while Bukayo Saka converted a penalty to grab his 50th goal for the club. Leandro Trossard’s curled finish just before the break added gloss to a fine showing.
For Arsenal, the result leaves things as they started heading into the weekend, albeit with a much improved goal difference Liverpool remain top after their 3-1 win over Burnley at Anfield, City had briefly gone to the summit earlier on Saturday with a 2-0 victory of their own, at home to Everton.
Title outsiders Tottenham just about kept up their feint hopes of gatecrashing the party. Spurs beat came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 thanks to a 96th-minute winner from Brennan Johnson.
Champions League football is now on the horizon for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta as he looks to try and compete on two fronts for the rest of the season. It is a big period coming up for the Gunners. Here’s how their next five league games will shape up.
Burnley (A) – Saturday, February 17
Arsenal will be strong favourites to make it five league wins in a row when they travel to Turf Moor next week. In a game between two of Pep Guardiola’s disciples, Arteta will be hoping to get one over a struggling Vincent Kompany.
Burnley are currently second bottom, locked on 13 points, and are being cut further and further adrift by the week. They have won one home game all season – and that came against relegation-fodder Sheffield United. Arsenal’s recent away form has been patchy but even so there is little doubt about just how much they are expected to win this game.
Newcastle (H) – Saturday, February 24
Things get temporarily trickier, especially off the back of the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League last-16 tie with Porto. Newcastle won the reverse fixture in a fiery battle at St James’ Park, a game shrouded in VAR controversy, but have fallen off since.
Eddie Howe’s men are now labouring outside the top six and are ten points behind Aston Villa. They have responded well to a tough period over Christmas and New Year – winning three of their past four, drawing the other – but are not same solid side that had such defensive success last year.
Sheffield United (A) – Monday, March 4
The perfect way to react to a tough week of European travel and higher-intensity matches, Arsenal will have ten days to recover before they travel to the worst side in the league this season. Chris Wilder’s introduction at Bramall Lane has made little difference to the Blades’ plight and Arsenal will be in no mood to offer even a glimmer of hope here.
Brentford (H) – Saturday, March 9
The turnaround for the next match, the visit of Ivan Toney, Thomas Frank, and Brentford, is subsequently much smaller. This is the type of possible banana skin Arsenal will hope to navigate comfortably. The Bees have only won two of their past 11 game in all competitions but are bolstered by the return of Toney. He will be keen to prove a point to a side still strongly linked with a move for him.
Chelsea (H) – Saturday, March 16
In the last game before the international break, it is Mauricio Pochettino (for now) and the Blues that visit the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have only lost two of their last 11 at home to Chelsea, including a 3-1 pummelling last year.
Pochettino’s side are an unpredictable entity that shocked Arteta in the reverse fixture, controlling the game for 75 minutes at Stamford Bridge before a late collapse, but have been poor away in recent months. Their impressive victory over Villa in mid-week was just a second win in eight outside of Stamford Bridge. Arsenal will be keen to pile on the pressure in this match.
Liverpool next five fixtures
Brentford (A) – Saturday, February 17
Luton (H) – Wednesday, February 21
Nottingham Forest (A) – Saturday, March 2
Man City (H) – Saturday, March 9
Everton (A) – Saturday, March 16
Manchester City next five fixtures
Brentford (A) – Monday, February 5
Everton (H) – Saturday, February 10
