Sheffield United 0-6 Arsenal: Gunners on 'a different planet' to us, says Chris Wilder after heavy defeat
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByOli Gent
Published 04/03/2024 at 23:03 GMT
Chris Wilder has said that his Sheffield United side were beaten by an Arsenal team "on a different planet" after the Gunners thrashed the Blades 6-0 at Bramall Lane. Martin Odegaard opened the scoring on five minutes, before a Jayden Bogle own goal, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Declan Rice, and Ben White completed the rout that moves the Gunners to within two points off the top of the league.
Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder #11 Gabriel Martinelli (2L) is mobbed by teammates after scoring the team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Sheffield United and Arsenal at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, northern England on M
Image credit: Getty Images
Chris Wilder has said that his Sheffield United side were beaten by an Arsenal team "on a different planet" after the Gunners battered the Blades 6-0 at Bramall Lane.
There were five different goalscorers for the visitors, with Martin Odegaard stroking home to open the scoring on five minutes, before Jayden Bogle put through his own net eight minutes later to double the advantage.
Gabriel Martinelli joined in on the act just two minutes later, before Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it five before the interval.
Ben White's left-footed drive completed the rout two minutes shy of the hour.
It leaves the Gunners two points off Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table, but they could go top should they beat Brentford next weekend.
A deflated Wilder admitted that his side were not at the races during the encounter, and were beaten by a simply superior side.
“We’ve got to dust ourselves down and go again on Saturday," Wilder told Sky Sports.
"I understand the supporters leaving early. It’s a painful season. The boys are a damaged group of players. It’s been a long season and they’ve had to take some big hits. We have to take that responsibility. We can’t get away from that. It might be time for me to take a peek at who takes us forward in the next 10, 11 games. I’ve got some big decisions to make.
"There were certainly some disappointing performances all over the park and when you’re not at a level that gives you half a chance, you get punished brutally like we have done today. They were in a different league, a different planet to us. We couldn’t lay a glove on them.
"That’s the reason they’re in that position in the best league in the world. You have to be right in so many aspects, because you’re dealing with these top teams that take everybody to pieces. When we are not in great shape and they are in good shape, the gulf is huge."
Mikel Arteta, the Arsenal manager, was delighted with his side's performance, and particularly so after the Gunners' striking options had been criticised for their goal scoring.
"I loved the way the team played; the quality we showed, the aggression with and without the ball," Arteta told Sky Sports.
"We were really determined right from the beginning. We were all worried because it was a tricky game against a team that has done well against some big teams. We are really happy with the amount of goals we scored and the clean sheet.
"We love our players and our job is to improve them and give them the resources and put them in situations to explore their qualities. The fact that so many of them are scoring creates a sense of confidence in the team that anyone can score a goal."
- - -
TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article