FA PREMIER LEAGUE
ARSENAL 5 (Nketiah 28, 50, 58, Vieira 88p, Tomiyasu 90+2)
SHEFFIELD UNITED 0

WHAT an appalling mismatch this was. Of course, it was fun for the home fans who enjoyed a stress-free afternoon after a busy week in the Champions League. And Eddie Nketiah, the sometimes maligned striker, will remember it as a day when he scored three and took home the match ball.

But the old idea that on the right day, anybody can beat anybody in the Premier League looked a sham, as Sheffield United staggered through a pathetic performance which illustrated this season’s gulf between the top and the bottom. There must be ten teams or more in the Championship who would have made life harder for the Gunners today.

So it was a game to enjoy but not to get too carried away with for Mikel Arteta’s team with tougher assignments, beginning with an away trip to Newcastle next weekend, ahead. Nketiah will be delighted if he is given the same space to roam as afforded to him by the lost-looking Blades.

Centre stage again up front with Gabriel Jesus sidelined by injury again, Nketiah seized his chance by opening the scoring after half an hour. The fans were starting to  get rather restless of watching William Saliba exchange passes with his fellow defenders on the halfway line when suddenly Declan Rice upped the tempo and threaded a past through to Nketiah, who turned his man and in the room he had bought himself slammed his shot past Wes Fotheringham in the Sheffield United goal.

There was no plan B for the visitors once the idea of frustrating Arsenal had gone and minutes into the second half, Nketiah helped himself to a second goal with an instinctive finish after Fotheringham had fumbled a corner.

The third was the pick of the bunch, however. This time he clattered a 25-yarder beyond the keeper, enjoying the freedom of the Emirates pitch to pick his spot. He kissed the ball and saluted a roaring crowd. They will love him even more if he can recreate it against more challenging opposition.

Sheffield United have already lost 8-0 to Newcastle this season and Arsenal could have probably have matched that tally if they had really wanted to. In the end the goal difference boosters came from Fabio Vieira, who won and scored a penalty, and another substitute, Takehiro Tomiyasu, who struck in injury time and capped an excellent week after his standout performance against Seville.

Arteta said afterwards that some players were given a rest due to the busy schedule of international fixtures and big club matches.

“We went through all the minute everybody has played, and some of them have had an enormous amount of minutes,” he said.

And he he added that he had total faith in Nketiah, and he had shown this by playing him in attack for nine out of ten Premier League matches so far.

“He needs to enjoy the moment, he fully deserves it [hat-trick] and hopefully there are many more to come,” he said, adding: “For me he is top quality. He needs, minutes, opportunities and service, and if he has that he’ll score goals. He is already really good and he can be better. His mentality is incredible.”

ARSENAL: Raya, White (Tomiyasu 66), Zinchenko, Kiwior, Saliba, Rice (Elneny 89), Havertz, Smith Rowe (Vieira 73), Saka (Nelson 73), Martinelli (Trossard 66), Nketiah
SUBS NOT USED: Ramsdale, Gabriel Magalhaes, Jorginho, Odegaard

SHEFFIELD UNITED: Fotheringham, Bogle (Baldock 71), Thomas, Trusty, Robinson, Norwood, Sousa, Slimane (Osborn 59), McAtee (Fleck 71), Hamer (One 83), Brewster (Archer 59)
SUBS NOT USED: Brooks, Davies,  Larouci, Traore