Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
GRITTY GRITTY BANG BANG
The pre-arteta Arsenal would have crumbled but these days Gunners are heavy mettle
Arsenal have won nine of their last 11 home Premier League matches (D2) since a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in Mikel Arteta’s first home game in charge in December.
Sheffield United have lost seven consecutive league matches for only the second time in their history, with their other sevengame losing run coming between August and September 1975. Arsenal have won nine of their last 11 home league matches against Sheffield United (D2) since a 1-0 defeat in August 1971.
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has lost seven consecutive league matches as a manager for the first time since a run of 10 defeats in a row as Halifax Town manager between Feb and April 2004.
BUKAYO SAKA will surely remember this week for as long as he lives.
His first senior England callup, his first goal for Arsenal at the Emirates, and a muchneeded three points for his club at the end of an exhausting week.
Sadly, the game will not live as long in the memory for the
rest of us, other than for two good goals and a grandstand finish after battling Sheffield United had hauled themselves back into the contest.
But these are the sort of games Arsenal would probably have lost when their mental strength did not match their talent.
Manager Mikel Arteta has instilled new determination into this Arsenal side.
Before his arrival, it would have been easy to imagine the Gunners, after two tough trips in a few days to Anfield , crumbling under late Blades pressure. No more, though. If
they can battle, scrap and win even when they are exhausted, that is the sign of resilience and determination. Those sort of qualities are needed if they are hoping to gatecrash the top four this season.
What they lacked in finesse and quality, they made up for in grit and heart.
Dani Ceballos provided touches of class, Brazilian defender Gabriel is a rock at the back, and Hector Bellerin provided two assists to remind ever yone what an important player he is.
Sub Nicolas Pepe, who has yet to fulf i l hi s pot enti al , rounded off the move of the match for Arsenal’s second goal.
All this after a largely forgettable first half.
The biggest moments of the first 45 minutes were when David Luiz pulled back Oliver Burke after just five minutes
and was lucky to escape a red card.
Sheffield United’s Sander Berge was booked five minutes before the break for a brutal challenge on Pierre-emerick Aubameyang which left the Arsenal striker limping heavily.
Arsenal’s breakthrough came after 61 minutes when Mohamed Elneny found Bellerin, who stood up a cross to the back post for Saka to head powerfully home.
At just 19, Saka has the world at his feet. The maturity and decision-making from such a young player is outstanding.
Three minutes later, Arsenal
got an all-important second after the sweetest of moves. They put together 19 passes before Pepe rounded it off with a superb finish.
Pepe swapped passes with Bellerin who played in the Arsenal winger and his low shot flew past United keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
That looked to be that. But credit to the Blades. You cannot have the campaign they had last season with no spirit.
And they dug deep to go again and score their first Premier League goal of the season. George Baldock supplied David Mcgoldrick and his
low shot f lew past Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno to set up a frantic last seven minutes. It was like the Alamo in the final stages, Ramsdale going up for corners and Arsenal desperately clinging on.
When the dust settled, the visitors had suf fered their fourth defeat in the Premier League. And after meeting Fulham in their first match following the i nternational break, they play Liverpool , Manchester City and Chelsea.
Still, you suspect they will turn it round.
For Arsenal, Arteta is already doing that.