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The Gunners fully capitalized on their game in hand to widen the gap at the top
Mikel Arteta has praised Arsenal for their ‘magic moments’ after a 4-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Wednesday night.
The convincing win – that came courtesy of Bukayo Saka’s superb opener, a brace from Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Odegaard’s goal – helped the Gunners open up a five-point gap at the top ahead of Manchester City.
"I'm really happy," said Arteta in his post-match conference, per Sky Sports. "It was the game that we had in hand against an opponent that we knew was going to make life really difficult for us. We experienced that at Goodison.
"We started the game with some frustration, not really understanding what we had to do, allowing them to run in certain transitions, but after 20 or 25 minutes, I think we started to get much better, and I think the timing of the first two goals was key.
"We needed a magic moment there, and Alex [Zinchenko] and 'B' [Bukayo Saka] produced it. And then the team grew, especially with Thomas [Partey], because Jorginho wasn't feeling good today.
"When he came on, he really gave some presence and some stability to the team, and I think the second half was superb."
Arsenal were frustrated in the first 40 minutes before Saka’s brilliant strike broke the deadlock, and Arteta is impressed by his efforts.
"In the end, you have to produce those magic moments and take that initiative and have that mentality, 'I'm going to do it on the pitch. I'm not going to wait for somebody else to do it.'
"When you have a few players who have the willingness and the capacity to do that, you have a better chance to win more games."
The Gunners – who have now won three games in a row after a three-game winless streak that had allowed Manchester City to move top - re-established a five-point gap as the title race gathers more speed.
The London side will play Bournemouth on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium.
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