Mikel Arteta promised Arsenal will be relentless in their pursuit of the title after moving five points clear at the Premier League summit by dismantling a dejected Everton on Wednesday night.
The victory was never in doubt after Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli broke early resistance from the visitors with goals in quick succession before half-time, with the Brazilian later doubling his tally after a strike from Martin Ødegaard. Arsenal have won three on the bounce and it is particularly noteworthy given that, only a fortnight ago, their credentials were cast under serious doubt by a 3-1 home defeat by second-placed Manchester City.
As usual, Arteta laughed off the question of whether his team are favourites to win the league. “You know my answer,” was his response but he made a point of their hunger to break a drought that stretches back 19 years. “What I like is that everyone has the enthusiasm to do it,” he said. “We’re not going to stop that and we have to promote it. The way to promote it is to look at this game and understand we can do things better, especially in the first half.”
That unabating hunger is something that, according to Arteta, is created through the ups and downs of a season. “It’s something we have to train, discuss and build,” he said. “It’s not easy, but a lot of the time it happens through experiences, most of the time experiences you don’t want to go through. The calendar is going to [dictate] that sometimes you are here, sometimes there, sometimes two points clear or minus two points. We’re going to have to deal with that.”
One such unwelcome experience was a 1-0 reverse against Sean Dyche’s side at Goodison Park on 4 February that began a three-game blip that yielded just one point. “I had no doubts that we would turn things around in [our] performance,” Arteta said. “I am really pleased with where the team are now.”
Arteta accepted Arsenal had “started the game with some frustration” and hailed a “magic moment” from Oleksandr Zinchenko, who drifted infield and played a neat through ball, that teed up Saka’s explosive near-post finish. “You have to take that initiative,” he said. “Have that mentality of: ‘I’m going to do it on the pitch, I’m not going to wait for someone else to do it.”
Dyche bemoaned what deteriorated into another limp away display from Everton, who remain third from bottom and have now played a game more than most of those around them. They have scored once in their last eight league outings on the road, gaining two points, and lost both games on their travels since Dyche’s arrival.
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“You have to bring the home mentality to away games,” Dyche said. “It’s been there a little while [the difference away from home]. It’s not a new thing. When players are at the top end of their performance levels it spreads quickly. It’s how we can change that and have it rub off on everyone.”