Mikel Arteta revealed that he had informed Viktor Gyokeres he would start on the bench and be tasked with making an impact against Sunderland, a decision that paid off as the Swedish striker scored twice in the second half to clinch the win.
Arsenal were made to battle for their 3–0 victory, with Gyokeres ending any hopes of a Sunderland comeback after Martin Zubimendi had produced a brilliant strike to open the scoring before the interval.
Six of Gyokeres’ eight Premier League goals have now come against promoted teams, and the brace marked the first time he has found the net in consecutive league matches for Arsenal.
Since the beginning of the year, Gyokeres has also scored more goals across all competitions than any other Premier League player, with six to his name.
He made his mark just six minutes after coming on, before sealing the result deep into stoppage time in the second half, justifying Arteta’s trust in deploying him as a super sub.
“Very happy. He deserves it,” Arteta told BBC Match of the Day about Gyokeres.
“He is a super committed player, and he wants to get better. He saw the line-up, and I told him he’d come in and make an impact.”
Crucially for Arsenal, the win saw them move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League table, ahead of Manchester City’s meeting with Liverpool on Sunday.
It is the first time since the final day of their 2003–04 title-winning season that Arsenal will finish a matchday at least nine points clear at the summit.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Arteta admitted his side had to work hard to secure the three points.
“A really tough game against a really tough opponent,” he added. “We scored a really beautiful goal with Zubi.
“They can really break your rhythm, and they’re really good in what they do. The subs became critical. It was wonderful to watch.
“Technically, tactically, mentally [Arsenal were great]. We played a semi-final here a few games ago. It was a very good atmosphere in the stadium, and that’s what we need. The home form has been really good.”
Sunderland, meanwhile, are still without a win in their last eight Premier League away matches, drawing three and losing five, while conceding exactly three goals in each of their last three games on the road.
The Black Cats found it difficult to trouble Arsenal despite enjoying spells of possession, recording just 0.2 expected goals from five attempts, including an early Brian Brobbey effort that was blocked on the line.
“The score is the score. They were relentless with the ability to seize the opportunities we gave them,” Regis Le Bris told Sky Sports.
“We showed great personality, and we were in the game until the third goal. We had opportunities, and we didn’t score.
“We feel the experience and the quality. We have to accept. We are still a newly promoted side, and we are doing well. We were competitive in that game, but the level is the level.
“You have to accept it and build on the strong side of our game.”
