That’s it for tonight. Thanks for reading and for all your emails. See you next time.

“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again Saturday,” says the Sheffield United manager, Chris Wilder. “We have an obligation.

“I thought our supporters were amazing … I understand supporters leaving, I get that … but the noise at the end, when the supporters were vocal, I think shows what an amazing club this is.

“It’s a painful season and the boys are a damaged group of players. There’s no doubt about that. It’s been a long season and they’ve had to take some big hits … we have to be responsible, whether pre-me, or now, we all have to take that responsibility … we can’t get away from that.

“It might be a time to take little peek at who takes us forward in these next 10, 11 games … maybe [Oliver] Arblaster, [Andre] Brooks and [William] Osula are the ones to take us forward a little bit now.

“There were some disappointing performances all over the park … when you’re not at a level that gives you half a chance, you’re just going to get punished, and punished really brutally, like we have been today. They were in a different league, a different planet to us, and we couldn’t lay a glove on them … the gulf is huge and it’s definitely shown tonight.

“They shouldn’t need to be motivated. They’re professional footballers, they get paid, we all do, we get paid very, very well … and we’re at a level that we need to produce and motivate ourselves. I’ll do what I need to do.

“The stuff that we’ve gone through in terms of a game plan goes out the window if we make elementary mistakes. I’m not so sure it’s a motivation level. And I do get why people say, well, ‘They’re not up for it’.

“We just weren’t good enough tonight. From a motivational point of view, playing Monday night live on Sky against Arsenal in the Premier League, you know, it shouldn’t need anybody to get geed up. You should be calming people down.

“When you make some defensively really poor decisions, teams are going to punish you. It looks like you’re not trying. The boys are having a go. They’re hurting. We’re all hurting … and we’re hurting on behalf of the football club. Because the results and the performances, especially over the last three or four games, are nowhere near where they need to be.”

Arsenal ended with 80.7 possession. They had 10 shots on target to Sheffield United’s zero and 22 shots to United’s four.

Arsenal took 1036 touches, Sheffield United 340.

Arsenal made 892 passes to the Blades’ 212.

The score in corners was 7-0 to Arsenal.

The score in goals was 6-0 to Arsenal.

Saka was feeling sick? You should have seen the Sheffield United defenders …

“I loved the way the team played,” says Mikel Arteta. “The quality that we showed and the aggression as well, with and without the ball. We were really determined from the beginning. We were worried because it’s a very tricky game … it’s a team that has done really well against some big teams as well. We’re really happy winning with the amount of goals we scored and a clean sheet.

“We have to continue to do what we are doing .. Really happy to get some players back after a long time, like Fabio [Vieira], like Thomas [Partey]. … and then maintain the momentum. We enjoy that today but tomorrow it is Brentford, and Brentford and Brentford, and keep going.

Will goal difference be crucial? “It’s going to be crucial if we win the remainder of the games … in order to do that, we have to beat Brentford now, and that’s the most important thing.”

“We love our players, our job is to improve them, to give them the resources, and to put them in situations they can explore their qualities. That’s what they try to do. The fact so many of them are scoring creates a sense of confidence and threat around the team that anybody can score a goal.”

Would going top next week change the dynamic of the title race? “I don’t know. I know how tough it’s going to be against Brentford, it always is. We will try to prepare the game the best possible way and again, play and perform in the way we are doing, and earn the right to win the game.

“Bukayo was feeling sick, and he wasn’t feeling right, so we decided to take him off. With Gabby, it is just a cut. He had a tackle and a slight cut, and we have to see how he is.

What message have Arsenal sent to their title rivals? “Nothing. We have to do our business, and win our games. That’s the only thing that we can do.”

Tough night for Sheffield United. Tough season, let’s be honest.

Carragher-banter alert. Referencing his own much-talked-about criticism of some recent Arsenal celebrations, he asks Ødegaard:

“It was a great performance from you today … but I didn’t see the photographer on the pitch?”

“I was waiting for that!” Ødegaard laughs. Everyone has a chuckle …

“No, I was too scared to do it today,” Ødegaard adds. “I went inside today.”

Martin Ødegaard speaks: “We know it’s a tough place to come … We took control of the game, we knew they wanted to play direct and we had to be ready for that.

“When we had the ball, we were in a good mood today … In the end it was solid, a nice performance.”

“We wanted to keep the momentum going. We wanted to keep it up. Especially when you come to places like this, it can be a bit tricky if you don’t start well.”

Thierry Henry asks about the pressure Arsenal are putting on their oppoents: “I think it’s unbelievable, the work we put in without the ball … you can talk about what we do in front of the goal, but the work we do without the ball, from the front line to the keeper, is unbelievable.

“I feel really safe when we’re defending. We need to find the right balance and I think we’re doing that at the moment.”

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Triumphant social media graphic from the winning team, anyone?

Aaron Bower is on the scene for us at Bramall Lane and his match report is right here:

Reaction coming up, and perhaps a smattering of pundit chat from Henry and Carragher as well.

While not too much can be read into beating Sheffield United (no offence), the timing of the return of Partey and Jesus is perfect for Arsenal in the context of the title race.

All-round that was just an awesome performance. Saka was electrifying, as was Martinelli, Rice was relentless, and man-of-the-match Ødegaard pulled the strings in imperious fashion.

Total domination from Arsenal. The Gunners can move top of the table if they beat Brentford next Saturday evening, before the seismic encounter between Liverpool and Manchester City the following day. The title race is really on, people!

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90 min + 4: “Media is a lovely suburb,” writes Michael Driscoll. “Just west of Philadelphia.”

Media in Pennsylvania, of course, is the birthplace of Auston Trusty, for those of you who have been reading all evening. He will probably want to be catching up with friends and family for a bit of moral support after this.

What’s occurring on the pitch? Not much. Arsenal have the ball. Sheffield United are defending better and holding their shape.

90 min +3: Ødegaard is awarded man of the match by the co-commentator, Alan Smith. A fair shout.

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90 min: We’ll have five minutes added on.

Speaking of the number five, this is the fourth time in recent weeks that Sheffield United have conceded five or more at home. Two of those were 5-0 losses, one was 5-2. But this? This is the worst of 2024. They did lose 8-0 to Newcastle in September.

89 min: “You reckon many Sheffield United fans have already gone home?” emails Geoff Wignall. “Not the pub then?”

Fair point. Many of them have left the stadium, let’s say.

87 min: From the Arsenal left, Trossed curls a lovely, cultured cross to the back stick, where a couple of teammates are lurking. Sheffield United clear at the second time of asking. Their defending has been somewhat more solid in the second half. Then, Jesus gets his foot on the ball in the area with a silky first touch, and makes a twisting run, but is eventually crowded out.

86 min: You sense that Arsenal have succeeded in silencing the home crowd at this stage. Many of them have already gone home though.

Jesus chases a ball over the top. Grbic gathers it safely.

83 min: Bogle has Sheffield United’s second actual shot of the evening, although it’s a similarly poor effort to the one by Osula a couple of minutes ago. He tries a curler with the outside of his boot, but it flies away harmlessly.

82 min: Another lightning quick counter by Arsenal. Havertz and Jesus link beautifully, Jesus has a sight of goal, and curls a powerful right-footer which is destined to bend in the far corner. He thinks he’s scored, I fancy, but Grbic dives to his left and beats it out for a corner.

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80 min: Partey fails to control a poor pass in midfield and suddenly Osula is bearing down on goal with the Arsenal defence back-pedalling. Could this be the moment? No, it could not. Osula tries a piledriver from outside the area, right-footed, and it skews off his boot, high and wide.

80 min: “Dear Luke,” writes Florian Neuhof. “Did you know that the Premier League’s 15,000th goal was also scored by a German and former Gunner, Moritz Volz? One of football history’s quirks.”

Florian, I do now. Danke.

78 min: Ødegaard swings a cross over for the Poland international Kiwior, who is entirely unmarked in a central position. He makes a total hash of the chance, though, and the ball bounces off his shoulder and out.

75 min: Saliba slides an excellent pass to the feet of Jesus down the right channel. Jesus tries to bang a powerful cut-back across goal but it’s blocked out for a corner.

74 min: Rinse and repeat. Arsenal give the ball away, and Bogle tries to make a break down the right for the home team. But he’s got no support, and is easily crowded out.

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73 min: One of the Arsenal substitutes, Jesus, makes a run towards the near post from a central area. Robinson covers. Jesus goes down and wants a penalty after cutting towards the byline, but he was offside anyway.

Meanwhile, Declan Rice is taken off, with Leandro Trossard coming on.

72 min: Arsenal continue to press high up the pitch. Sheffield United have simply had no time at all to try and build anything. The fitness, along with the determination to close their opponents down, is impressive.

70 min: Arsenal have had 80% possession, and nine shots on target to Sheffield United’s nil.

They’ve had 20 shots in all and made 641 passes to United’s 161. And they have had 756 touches to the hosts’ 256.

It’s utter domination.

68 min: That’s 150,000 goals up in the English top flight, then.

64 min: The 19-year-old Ollie Arblaster comes on, for the captain, Ahmedhodzic.

This is Arblaster’s Premier League debut. Must feel a bit like batting No 6 for England, coming in at 12-4 against the West Indian pace attack of the 1980s.

63 min: Martinelli is going off injured. He’s had a knock to his right ankle, it looks like. And he’s being helped from the pitch. Looks like it could be quite bad …

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Now, Arteta is about to indulge in a bit of bench-emptying.

Gabriel Jesus, Thomas Partey and Cedric Soares are coming on. White, Jorginho and obviously Martinelli, injured, go off.

60 min: Arsenal ping the ball around again, keeping the ball high up the pitch. Martinelli nearly gets in behind after a quicksilver exchange of passes. There’s a close-up of the Sheffield United captain and defender Ahmedhodzic, who looks just as fed up as you’d expect. Who’s picking up? Mark a man! WHERE IS THE TALKING?

It’s more lovely work from Havertz. I mean, no one could accuse him of being a flat-track bully, but he’s having a superb night here. He brings the ball down and cuts it back for White, who needs to second invitation to crack a left-footed shot that arrows into the bottom corner.

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The perma-tanned Ben White gets on the scoresheet. Good finish too.

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56 min: Gabriel gives the ball away cheaply in midfield. Against most opposition that would be a grave error. There is space to attack with the visitors pushed forward. But Arsenal win the ball back very easily again. There is no pace, no threat, no ability to hold possession from the home team. It really is a horrible performance.

55 min: Martinelli whips a cross in from the left wing for Arsenal. Sheffield United’s defenders, with Wilder’s half-time team talk still ringing in their ears, look a bit more solid now and they clear their lines.

53 min: Whoah! Vieira is released down the right, and shows genuine pace to get clear of the defensive cover. Not quite Saka-quick, but who is? He floats a perceptive cross to the middle where Martinelli tries a volley. It’s miscued, though, and Sheffield United snuff out the danger.

50 min: Arsenal win it back high up the pitch yet again. You can’t beat a recovery in the final third, can you? Thomas Tuchel would be purring. Havertz is fouled by Vinicius Souza, and the Gunners have a set-piece in a handy position.

Rice belts the free-kick to the near post, maybe looking to catch Grbic out, but it’s accepted gratefully by the Sheffield United gloveman.

48 min: Just to reiterate, Saka did indeed go off at half time. Fabio Vieira came on. It’s hardly emptying the bench but it’s a start. No sense in risking injury for Saka given this is a goal-difference exercise for the Gunners now.

46 min: Martinelli has taken a stray hand in the face – perhaps a finger in the eye - from Baldock, who has just come on. It was accidental, but it looks like Martinelli is in some pain.

Three changes for the hosts: Baldock, Osula and Brooks on for Sheffield United. McBurnie, McAtee, Davies off. That’s four changes in total for the Blades now.

Saka off for Arsenal, Fábio Vieira on.

“Somehow, this is probably all Carlos Tevez’s fault, isn’t it?” emails Oliver.