Rampant Arsenal thumps Everton to go five-points clear
Arsenal opened up a five-point lead at the Premier League summit as Gabriel Martinelli scored twice in a 4-0 rout of struggling Everton at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal produced arguably its worst performance of the season in last month's 1-0 loss at Everton, but a quickfire double on the stroke of half-time saw the Guners take control on Thursday (AEDT).
Bukayo Saka broke Everton's resistance with a terrific finish into the top-right corner before playing a key role in the second, stealing possession from a flat-footed Idrissa Gueye to tee up Martinelli.
Sean Dyche's struggling side suffered further damage as Martin Odegaard and Martinelli added close-range finishes after the interval, ensuring Arsenal put potentially decisive daylight between itself and Manchester City.
Everton kept Arsenal quiet for the first 40 minutes and perhaps should have gone ahead when Neal Maupay flicked into Aaron Ramsdale's hands from six yards out.
However, the Gunners took the lead with their first real chance as Saka turned on Oleksandr Zinchenko's defence-splitting pass before hammering beyond Jordan Pickford at his near post.
Arsenal had VAR to thank as they grabbed a second six minutes later, with Michael Oliver overturning his initial decision to disallow Martinelli's one-on-one finish for offside after Gueye was caught in possession by Saka.
Leandro Trossard miscued a volley as Arsenal pushed for a third after the interval, before Ramsdale made a strong stop from Dwight McNeil's 20-yard effort.
Arsenal had a deserved third with 19 minutes to play as Trossard raced to the byline to find Odegaard, whose side-footed finish deflected in off James Tarkowski.
With Everton's confidence shattered, Eddie Nketiah tested Pickford with a close-range volley before driving to the left to find Martinelli, who poked in for his brace.
