Two goals from Alexandre Lacazette, one of which evoked memories of happier and more successful times for Arsenal, maintained Mikel Arteta’s distant hopes of European qualification via the Premier League although this most comfortable of victories may have come at a cost.
Bukayo Saka limped off in the second half with a thigh injury that renders him doubtful for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg away to Slavia Prague, in a competition that is surely Arteta’s priority.
But at least the Arsenal manager will go to the Czech Republic, after last week’s 1-1 home draw, with Lacazette in inspirational form, having claimed an opening goal which, it was suggested to Arteta afterwards, would have been watched with approval by Arsène Wenger.
“It was a typical Arsenal goal,” Arteta said. “It was really high quality and the movement and finishing were really good as well.
“He’s playing really well at the moment, full of confidence and scoring goals. In the last six or seven months I’ve seen a big change in him, how he’s interacting with people, how he’s communicating with his team-mates, the responsibility he has taken on the pitch, and off the field as well.
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“That’s really positive. He’s a player with experience and has been here long enough to start to develop those qualities and we need those characters in the team.”
Gabriel Martinelli would clinch the win in the second half, with Arsenal’s second and his first goal in 15 injury-ravaged months, but the opener, after 33 minutes, was a moment of beauty carved out by Arsenal, even allowing for the low quality of an opponent now potentially only one game from having their relegation confirmed.
It featured four players having pivotal passing parts with Thomas Partey and Lacazette himself playing short, sharp balls before Saka and Dani Ceballos made more incisive contributions, the latter contributing a back-heel to put the goalscorer clean through. Lacazette retained his composure to convert his 14th goal of the season past the helpless Aaron Ramsdale and put Arsenal on course for a victory that ends a dispiriting run of four games without a win.
His second came five minutes from time, the product of an amazing pass from Partey, on the turn from halfway, which split the defence and allowed the striker to advance and score clinically from 18 yards — his 50th goal in the Premier League.
It was all a depressingly familiar picture for the Blades who, at least, had showed that they still retain professional pride with a lively enough opening but, after David McGoldrick missed the best early chance of the game, there was little to offer hope to the interim manager Paul Heckingbottom.
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Martinelli placed an early shot into the side netting, after another flowing move, and had a deflected effort held by Ramsdale while the winger’s cross also found Calum Chambers whose goalbound drive was cleared off the line by John Egan.
The second half produced more of the same, although also that moment of concern for Arteta when Saka limped off after 69 minutes having taken a knee to his thigh.
“He felt discomfort in his thigh,” Arteta said. “It’s the last thing we need, we’re missing some big players at the moment and we don’t want it to be serious. We will see how he develops [in] the next few days.”
Arteta’s concerns about events on the field would have been eased after 71 minutes, however, when Martinelli assured him of three points after the United midfielder John Lundstram passed the ball directly to Nicolas Pépé 30 yards from his goal.
The Ivory Coast international advanced to the edge of the area before rifling in a powerful shot, which Ramsdale could only turn into the path of Martinelli who tapped home to cap an impressive, if rare, start for the 19-year-old.
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“I ask everybody to be patient with him because he’s a lad,” Arteta said. “Gabi has a great future ahead of him but we have to manage that and give him the right amount of minutes, the right amount of games.”
Whether more minutes will come in Prague on Thursday remains to be seen, with Arteta still hopeful that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the man who could have kept Lacazette out of last night’s starting line-up, will be well enough to play.
“He was unwell yesterday, did not train and was unavailable today,” Arteta said. “Hopefully the next day or two he will be feeling better and be available for Thursday.”
For Sheffield United, who finished last season one place and two points behind Arsenal in ninth, defeat simply nudged them closer towards the inevitable, with relegation possibly being confirmed mathematically at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.
“We have a varied group, some young boys just starting their journey and some older players who have been on a journey with this club over the last five years,” Heckingbottom said.
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“You have to learn from the tough moments and come back stronger.”
Sheffield United (3-5-2): A Ramsdale 7 — J Egan 7, E Ampadu 5, E Stevens 5 — G Baldock 6, J Fleck 5, J Lundstram 5, O Norwood 6, B Osborn 6 — O Burke 5 (R Brewster 64min, 5), D McGoldrick 5 (O McBurnie 64, 5; L Mousset 83). Booked Ampadu.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): B Leno 6 — C Chambers 7, R Holding 6, P Mari 7, G Xhaka 6 — T Partey 8, D Ceballos 7 — N Pépé 7, B Saka 7 (Willian 69, 6), G Martinelli 8 (M Elneny 83) — A Lacazette 9 (E Nketiah 88). Booked Mari.
Referee P Bankes.
