Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League but saw Bukayo Saka limp off ahead of their crucial Europa League clash with Slavia Prague.
The Gunners were always in control of Sunday’s contest at Bramall Lane, which will surely soon no longer be a Premier League venue given the Blades are near certainties for the drop.
Alexandre Lacazette’s superb 33rd-minute opener put Arsenal ahead and, shortly after Saka had departed the stage with an injury, Gabriel Martinelli made sure of the points prior to a late second for Lacazette.
Arsenal are ninth, 10 points adrift of fourth-placed West Ham, but their hopes of Champions League qualification rest on Thursday’s quarter-final second leg in Prague, where they must score after a 1-1 draw in the first game.
Saka and David McGoldrick wasted presentable opportunities in the opening 10 minutes before Martinelli fired into the side-netting at the end of an excellent counter-attack.
Martinelli was then denied by Aaron Ramsdale and Calum Chambers saw a goal-bound effort blocked by Enda Stevens before Arsenal deservedly broke the deadlock in style.
Lacazette started and finished the move, laying off for Saka, whose return pass was exquisitely flicked by Dani Ceballos to allow the former Lyon striker to roll into the bottom-right corner.
A largely low-key second half saw Lacazette bend an effort over the bar before Saka came off in some discomfort to give Gunners manager Mikel Arteta cause for concern.
He had reason to smile again in the 71st minute when Martinelli tapped in on the rebound after Ramsdale parried Nicolas Pepe’s low shot, with the impressive Lacazette applying gloss to the scoreline in the 85th minute as he latched on to Thomas Partey’s throughball and rifled home.
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