Sheffield United vs. Arsenal live score, result, updates, highlights, lineups as Gunners storm into 5-0 lead in first half

Arsenal bring their free-scoring Premier League form to Sheffield United in what could prove to be another arduous encounter for Chris Wilder’s side.

The Gunners dispatched Newcastle United 4-1 last time out in an imperious performance that saw Mikel Arteta’s team become the first in history to score at least two goals in seven consecutive halves of Premier League football.

That statistic comes with some foreboding for Sheffield United, who have lost their past two home matches 5-0 to Aston Villa and Brighton, having been walloped 8-0 by Newcastle earlier in the campaign.

Sheffield United vs Arsenal live score

Lineups:

Sheffield United (4-5-1, right to left): 13. Ivo Grbic (GK) — 20. Jayden Bogle, 15. Anel Ahmedhodzic, 5. Auston Trusty, 19. Jack Robinson — 28. James McAtee, 16. Oliver Norwood, 21. Vinicius Souza, 22. Tom Davies, 8. Gustavo Hamer — 9. Oli McBurnie.

Arsenal (4-3-3, right to left): 22. David Raya (GK) — 4. Ben White, 2. William Saliba, 6. Gabriel, 15. Jakub Kiwior — 41. Declan Rice, 20. Jorginho, 8. Martin Odegaard — 7. Bukayo Saka, 29. Kai Havertz, 11. Gabriel Martinelli.

Sheffield United vs Arsenal live updates, highlights, and commentary

45th minute: Trusty makes a very important interception to prevent the latest popping and fizzing Arsenal passing move from entering the United penalty area. Oh goodness, there will be five additional minutes. The home fans boo.

39th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!! Declan Rice!!!!!

Sheffield United have lost their past two home games 5-0 and it’s 5-0 in the first half here. So simple again. Saka can’t fail to beat his man at the moment – he hasn’t even scored yet – and Rice sidefoots home his latest cutback. This could end up being any score. The Premier League record of 9-0 under very legitimate threat.

36th minute: Corner for Arsenal on the left, who haven’t scored for 11 minutes. Rubbish. They’re trying some sort of funky routine. Odegaard ends up with the ball on the edge of the box, his shot is blocked. United give the ball back to Arsenal again! Stop doing that. The cross is too high for Havertz.

29th minute: Bogle flies in on Odegaard. He might have got a bit of the ball but he had two feet off the floor and that’s a yellow card. The last thing the beleaguered hosts need is a red card here.

26th minute: A chance for the Blades! Hamer through on goal, Raya saves. Oh, he was offside anyway.

25th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!! Kai Havertz!!!!

Another shambles from Sheffield United. This is just awful from the home side. Robinson gets in a mess to be dispossessed by Martinelli. He fouls him, the referee plays advantage and Havertz drills in number four.

24th minute: Sheffield United have the ball. Souza passes it straight out of play. Now Arsenal are attacking and they’re scrambling again.

22nd minute: “We’re gonna score in a minute,” chortle the Arsenal fans.

21st minute: Rice lets fly with a rip-snorter from distance. Grbic adjusts to save and the rebound is hacked clear. After all the varied intensity of Liverpool and Manchester City’s games at the weekend, Arsenal are enjoying a training exercise. That feels pretty useful.

20th minute: McAtee cuts inside and lashes a shot miles wide. The home fans applaud because at least he’s trying to do something.

17th minute: Chris Wilder makes a tactical substitution in the 17th minute. I guess it isn’t going particularly well. Osborn replaces Norwood.

15th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!! Gabriel Martinelli!!!!!

Lord have mercy. United decide to attack. Arsenal snaffle the ball back and charge up the other end. Odegaard drives things, Kiwior with a nice no-look lay-off to Martinelli, who slams home via a deflection. A VAR check for offside doesn’t spare the hosts.

13th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!! Jayden Boyle (OWN GOAL)!

Saka darts past Trusty as if he doesn’t exist. He’s at the byline and drives into the goalmouth. Boyle is helpless to avoid putting through his own goal.

13th minute: The home fans try to rouse their team. Gabriel is the deepest Arsenal player on the field, 35 yards from the opposition goal.

11th minute: United cough up possession again in their own half and Saka has a chance. A clatters of red and white limbs crowd him out but this isn’t sustainable at all.

9th minute: Arsenal work a corner short. Odegaard twists, turns and toys with Souza before curling wide from outside the box. Grbic ponders a short goal kick and then waves his defenders away. The Arsenal press has been as ravenous as it was last week.

5th minute: GOOOOOAAAAALLLL!!!!!! Martin Odegaard!!!!

It was a matter of time. Arsenal flooding the United box with runners and they don’t know what to do with them. Rice gets to the byline inside the box, cuts back left footed and Odegaard has a simple finish. Brilliant from Arsenal but stupifyingly easy.

5th minute: Now White flashes one across the goalmouth. It feels like a matter of time.

2nd minute: Choas in the United box already! Saka gets in round the back via a one-two with Jorginho. He tries to cross to Rice, the ball comes back to him and he shoots against the crossbar. The rebound falls to Martinelli and Robinson clears off the line. Sheesh.

1 min before kickoff: Ex-Blades Aaron Ramsdale gets a boo when the Arsenal subs are read out. Arsenal players into their pre-match huddle. United fans sing the “Greasy Chip Butty” song. We’re good to go.

4 mins before kickoff: The teams are in the tunnel. Here they come out in the South Yorkshire wind and rain.

20 mins before kickoff: The teams are going through their warmups. Understandably, there’s not really much to note in terms of crackling anticipation from the home fans already in their seats or on the concourse. This might end up being one to endure rather than enjoy. Nevertheless, boss Chris Wilder is typically bullish.

“They’re massively in the title race, we understand that, but we’re trying to dress it up as a cup match for us, an FA Cup tie. And I’ve said to the players if it was an FA Cup tie you’d have nothing to lose, let’s go for it and give a good account of ourselves and put in a positive performance.”