After confirming their place in the Carabao Cup final with a 1-0 win over Chelsea on Tuesday, the league leaders put further distance between themselves and Pep Guardiola’s side as a goal from Martin Zubimendi and a brace from substitute Viktor Gyokeres either side of half-time saw Mikel Arteta’s side to a hard-fought win over the Black Cats.
In typical Arsenal fashion, the Gunners dominated the early stages without creating anything of note besides Kai Havertz’s poor execution on a free header inside 20 seconds, as the German saw his glancing effort sail harmlessly wide of Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs’ goal.
The visitors’ first opportunity of the afternoon fell to Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey, who looked to capitalise on David Raya’s error after the Spaniard had failed to claim Dan Ballard’s deep ball into the Arsenal box.
The Dutch forward, who scored an acrobatic equaliser in the reverse fixture between the two sides back in November, fluffed his lines on this occasion as Kai Havertz reacted quickly to block Brobbey’s tame effort with Raya helpless.
With the chance to go nine points clear of closest rivals Manchester City in the Premier League title race, Arsenal seemed happy to earn their way in front rather than force it. The league leaders circulated the ball around the Sunderland half with authority and swagger at times but struggled to break down the visitors’ low block as chances for Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz came to nothing.
A somewhat similar feeling of discontent began to grow amongst the home support. Arsenal have had several chances to pull away from City when Pep Guardiola’s side have slipped up in the Premier League this season but have so often passed up those opportunities.
Declan Rice then came close to raising the roof of the Emirates with a 25-yard piledriver that flew just inches wide of Roefs’ far post. Replays showed the England midfielder’s effort to have skimmed the outside of the goalframe as it rocketed into the lower seating of the clock end.
As Mikel Arteta’s side struggled for attacking inspiration, it really began to feel as if a moment of magic or an individual error would be the only way to break the deadlock.
Then, up stepped Martin Zubimendi, whose low, driven effort from just outside the Sunderland box evaded a sea of blue shirts before going in off the near post to give Arsenal the lead. A sense of relief within the stadium emerged, as the nine-point gap between Arteta’s team and City began to look more likely.
Immediately from the restart, Gabriel Jesus was then played through one-on-one with Roefs, as the Brazilian looked to have stayed in his own half before running through on goal and was initially awarded a penalty after he was brought down by Dan Ballard.
The VAR then showed that Jesus had started his run marginally inside the Sunderland half, and the penalty decision was overturned due to offside.
In contrast to the opening exchanges of the first 45 minutes, Sunderland started the second half looking more likely to score the next goal at a crucial time in the match.
Enzo Le Fee’s curling effort forced David Raya into a low save after Sunderland had done well to work the ball through the Arsenal left-hand side, but Arteta’s side cleared the danger.
Regis Le Bris obviously felt there were some Arsenal vulnerabilities which his side could take advantage of, so the away side continued to break in numbers when the opportunity to do so presented itself.
After Sunderland’s attacking intent failed to materialise into anything of note, Arteta opted to bring Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli on to look for space to run into.
Just six minutes later, Arteta’s decision to bring the Swede on to replace Gabriel Jesus was vindicated as he held off pressure from Dan Ballard before smashing past Roefs to double the league leaders’ advantage.
By that point, the momentum had completely shifted in the hosts’ favour. There was more control, more swagger, and ultimately more confidence in the Gunners’ ability to win their first Premier League title since 2004.
Late chances for substitutes Eberechi Eze and Gabriel Martinelli went begging, but Gyokeres grabbed his second of the afternoon as he tapped into an empty net from Martinelli’s square pass across goal after Sunderland had pushed up deep inside the Arsenal half.
The victory leaves Arsenal nine points clear of City for at least 24 hours before Guardiola’s team travel to Anfield to face Liverpool.
Arsenal: Raya (GK), Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori (74, Hincapie), Zubimendi, Rice, Havertz (74, Eze), Madueke (60, Martinelli), Trossard (89, Norgaard), Jesus (60, Gyokeres)
Subs: Kepa (GK), Mosquera, White, Hincapie (74), Eze (74), Martinelli (60), Gyokeres (60), Norgaard (89), Lewis-Skelly
Sunderland: Roefs (GK), Hume (85, Isidor), Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo, Diarra, Sadiki (Geertruida, 71), Le Fee, Talbi (64, Mundle), Brobbey (85, Angulo)
Subs: Ellborg (GK), Cirkin, Geertruida (71), Ramirez, Rigg, Mayenda, O’Nien, Mundle (64), Isidor, (85), Angulo (85)