Martinelli hits double as Arsenal thrash Everton to go five points clear at the top

As the oles rang out from the Arsenal support with 15 minutes to go, the victory in the bag, Everton looking broken, it was possible to wonder how on earth they had lost to the same opposition at Goodison Park at the beginning of February.

If that was one of the clearest examples in recent times of a new-manager bounce, Everton responding to Sean Dyche, the visitors were back to the flatness that has characterised much of their season, even if they did make life difficult for Arsenal for much of the first half.

Once breached, though, by a scorching Bukayo Saka finish, there was only ever going to be one winner – particularly given Everton’s lack of edge in front of goal. It was all over bar the shouting, and there would be plenty of that from the home crowd, when Idrissa Gueye suffered a meltdown in first-half stoppage time.

Gueye did not notice Saka racing towards him as he dallied in his final third, facing his own goal and, when he was robbed, the ball ran through for Gabriel Martinelli to finish. At first, it appeared that Martinelli might have been offside. He was not. It was not a night when Everton would get away with anything.

Martin Ødegaard got the third, Martinelli the fourth after a cross from the substitute, Eddie Nketiah and, when Aaron Ramsdale denied the Everton substitute, Tom Davies, from point-blank range with the final kick, it represented salt in the visitors’ wounds. There was plenty for Mikel Arteta and his players to celebrate, not least when they looked at the league table. Their lead over Manchester City is up to five points.

It has got to that stage where Arsenal fans have to be peeking at what their team have left to face. For Arteta, though, it must be one game at a time, a gospel of