Mikel Arteta praised the partnership between Gabriel Martinelli And Bukayo Saka double-digit numbers Premier League throughout this season Arsenalvictory Everton.
gunmen 4-0 win At the Emirates to re-establish their five-point lead over league-topping Manchester City and deepen visitors’ fears of relegation.
Two halves from Martinelli and one goal each from Saka and Martin Odegaard were enough to bury Sean Dyche’s side on a night when a confident Arsenal didn’t seem to be repeating last month’s defeat at Goodison Park.
Extending the league leaders’ streak against Aston Villa and Leicester to three games, the momentum is back and the wobble they’ve been through after this loss at Merseyside is now firmly behind them.
Martinelli and Saka, in particular, continued to develop the connection that fans have enjoyed this season with the striker pair, the club’s joint goalscorers in all 11 competitions.
“We try to help them with our style of play to get them into these positions as much as possible,” Arteta said. “They are so eager to learn that they want more every day.
“They never have enough information, they always want more. When you have that and you have the talents and ideas they have, good things will happen.
“I’m really happy, it’s the game we have (against Manchester City) against an opponent that we know will make life really difficult. We had this at Goodison.
“We started with a bit of disappointment, we didn’t really understand what we had to do. After 25 minutes we started to get a lot better.”
Both Martinelli and Saka shone for Arsenal
(PA Wire)
Everton greatly disappointed their hosts in the first half, with little luck as Dyche’s side showed the same stubborn organization that brought them their victory at Goodison Park.
Martinelli got a nice finish from Saka five minutes before halftime, before adding another second after a defensive howl from Idrissa Gueye, and he was finally out of the stalemate.
“The timing of the two goals was crucial, we needed a magic moment there,” Arteta said. “Then I think the team grew. When Thomas[Partey]came, he really gave the team some presence and stability. I think the second half was great.
“You look every day and you feel how much they want it, how much they really want to produce what we want from them and how much they want to please our people.
“I had no doubt that we would turn things around at the screenings. There are sometimes minor details in the results. I’m really happy with the current state of the team.”
Dyche has seen his team lose three of their four matches since their victory over Arsenal in February to return to the relegation positions.
“We were doing very well for 40 minutes,” Dyche said. “In places like this you have to hold yourself tight, work the bench, find the killing moments. That’s the story of the season so far.
“It was a soft (first) gold for us. The back four were cut open for the first time. It’s good for them, that’s what they do.
“Secondly, it is difficult to legislate as a manger. When you’re down 2-0 in a place like this, it’s very difficult. In the second half, they showed why they are at the top of the league. They are a top side and they showed it.”