Mikel Arteta said "good things will happen" when you have hungry players like Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka as the pair moved into double figures in the Premier League this season during Arsenal’s victory over Everton.
The Gunners were largely stymied by the visitors in the first half before Saka broke the deadlock five minutes before half time. However, the second half was all one way traffic as a Martinelli double and a Martin Odegaard goal sealed a 4-0 win at the Emirates.
Victory allowed Arsenal to re-establish their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the league and deepen the visitors’ relegation fears.
Martinelli and Saka in particular continued to develop the connection that supporters have enjoyed this season, with the forward pair the club’s joint-leading scorers in the all competitions on 11.
“We try to help them with our way of playing to get them in those positions as much as possible,” said Arteta. “They are so willing to learn, they’re asking for more and more every day.
“They never have enough information, they always want more. When you have that, and you have the talent and the ideas that they have, good things will happen.
“I’m really happy, it was the game we had in hand [over Manchester City], against an opponent we knew was going to make life really difficult. We experienced that at Goodison.
“We started with some frustration, not really understanding what we had to do. After 25 minutes we started to get much better.”
Arsenal v Everton ratings
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ARSENAL RATINGS: Aaron Ramsdale - 9, A clean sheet for Ramsdale who did well to keep the score level following two good chances for Maupay. Made an excellent save in the last minute of the game. Getty Images -
Ben White - 7. A solid night on the right side of defence. Stuck to his task well but didn't do much going forward. AP Photo -
William Saliba - 8. Hardly put a foot wrong all through the game. Did well against the threat of Maupay. Getty Images -
Gabriel Magalhaes - 8. Dominant in the air and made a last-ditch block on Maupay in the 28th minute. Combined well with Saliba to limit the Toffees. Getty Images -
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 8. A little loose in possession but showed excellent vision to pick out Saka in the box for the Gunners’ first goal. Inverted well to help the home side outnumber the Toffees in midfield. Getty Images -
Jorginho - 7. Almost cost Arsenal a goal when he was caught in possession in the fifth minute. His diagonal passing was crucial against Everton’s low-block defence. Reuters -
Granit Xhaka - 6. Found himself in dangerous positions a number of times but lacked the creative ability to make things happen. Tracked back well to support the defence. Reuters -
Martin Odegaard - 8. Far from his creative best in the first half but still played a crucial role in the Gunners’ second goal. Scored Arsenal’s third after excellent work from Trossard. Getty Images -
Gabriel Martinelli - 9. Did well to stay onside and find space to score the Gunners’ second goal. Scored the home side’s fourth after being picked out by Nketiah. EPA -
Bukayo Saka - 9. Expertly turned and hit the ball high into the net with his weaker right foot when he was picked out in the box by Zinchenko. Did well to poke the ball off Gueye’s feet and into the path of Martinelli for Arsenal’s second goal. EPA -
Leandro Trossard - 8. Once again chosen up front in place of Nketiah, Trossard led the line well and dropped into spaces behind the attack to link up play. Showed excellent vision to set up Odegaard for the third. AFP -
SUBS: Thomas Partey (Jorginho, 46') - 7. Came on in place of Jorginho at half time and kept things ticking in the centre of the pitch. Helped the Gunners dominate play. PA -
Eddie Nketiah (Trossard, 73') - N/A. Should have scored when he was played through on goal by Odegaard. Smartly set-up Martinelli for the Gunners’ fourth. Reuters -
Fabio Viera (Xhaka, 73') - N/A. Impressed after coming on with his creative play. Could have ended the game with an assist or two. Getty Images -
Emile Smith Rowe (Saka, 82') - N/A. Almost scored his first goal since his return from injury two minutes after coming on. EPA -
Kieran Tierney (Zinchenko, 82') - N/A. Stuck to his defensive task well in the closing stages. Getty Images -
EVERTON RATINGS: Jordan Pickford - 5. Could do very little about Saka’s thunderous opener or Martinelli’s second in the first half. Did well to deny Nketiah, but again couldn't have done anything about the Gunners’ other two goals. AP Photo -
Seamus Coleman - 6. Played his part in helping to limit the home side’s advances on the left flank. Hooked off for the more energetic Godfrey early in the second half. PA -
Micheal Keane - 5. Struggled to keep track of Arsenal’s tricky attackers. Was nowhere near Odegaard for the Gunners’ third. PA -
James Tarkowski - 5. Got dragged out of possession by Martinelli in the build up to Arsenal’s opener. Picked up a yellow card for a foul on Odegaard in the 50th minute, and lost his man for the fourth goal. PA -
Vitaliy Mykolenko - 6. Kept Saka quiet for a lot of the first half and overlapped to good effect, but crucially lost Saka for the Gunners’ opening the scoring. AFP -
Idrissa Gueye - 4. Got his pocket picked by Saka in the build-up to the Gunners’ second goal. Hooked off at half time for Mason Holgate. AFP -
Amadou Onana - 5. Struggled to assert himself as much as he did when both teams met at Goodison Park less than a month ago. Looked lost in the second half. Reuters -
Abdoulaye Doucoure - 4. Looked far from his best when in possession. Could have done better to support the defence in the second half. Reuters -
Alex Iwobi - 5. Instrumental in helping the Toffees move the ball upfield early in the game. Struggled to make an impact in the second half as the Gunners dominated play. AP Photo -
Dwight McNeil - 6. Did well to set Maupay up in the eighth minute. Had a good shot saved by Ramsdale in the 62nd minute. Reuters -
Neal Maupay - 6. Had two early chances to give Everton the lead but failed to convert either. Struggled to get involved in the second half. Getty Images -
SUBS: Mason Holgate (Gueye, 46') - 5. Brought on to provide added security for the defence but got overrun by the Gunners’ impressive midfield. Reuters -
Demarai Gray (Maupay, 61') - 5. Worked hard to help out in defence but struggled to make any impact in attack. Getty Images -
Ben Godfrey (Coleman, 61') - 4. Lucky to have escaped a red card when he carelessly lifted his studs while trying to pry the ball from Trossard. Got caught out of position for the Gunners’ fourth goal. Getty Images -
Tom Davies (Doucoure, 79') - N/A. Almost grabbed a consolation goal for the Toffees with the last kick of the match. Reuters
Everton largely frustrated the hosts during the first half, with chances few and far between as Sean Dyche’s side showed the same dogged organisation that earned them their victory at Goodison Park last month.
It took a fine finish from Saka five minutes before half time to finally break the deadlock, before Martinelli added a second in added time following a defensive howler from Idrissa Gueye.
“The timing of the two goals was key, we needed a magic moment there,” said Arteta, adding he was "really pleased with the way the team is right now.”
Dyche has now seen his side lose three of their four games since victory over Arsenal in February to slide back into the relegation places.
“We were doing very well for 40 minutes,” said Dyche. “You have to keep it tight at places like this, work on the counter, finding the killer moments. That’s the story of the season so far.
“It was a soft [first] goal from our point of view. The back four just got cut open for the first time ... The second, as a manger it’s hard to legislate for. Once you’re 2-0 down at a place like this it’s very difficult. They showed why they’re top of the league in the second half. They’re a top side and they showed it.”
