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Bukayo Saka has scored two goal and assisted another as Arsenal eased past Crystal Palace 4-1 to move eight points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
The Gunners were eliminated from the Europa League by Sporting of Lisbon on Thursday, but they showed no sign of a hangover against managerless London rivals Palace.
Gabriel Martinelli’s 13th league goal of the season gave Arsenal the lead at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and Saka, who set up that opener, added a second before half-time.
Granit Xhaka put the game out of the reach of Palace, who did pull one back through Jeffrey Schlupp, before Saka’s second made certain of a sixth league win in a row.
Arsenal went to extra-time and penalties on Thursday and Saka admitted: “We are humans and we get tired. Sometimes you can feel and see the tiredness in our bodies after playing 120 minutes and then you have to come again three days later to play here.
“But we have the belief and the desire that we want to do this this year and nothing can stop us. Especially not us being tired.
“It is difficult sometimes but the prize at the end is worth giving everything, giving all our energy for.”
Palace had fired former Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira in midweek after 12 matches without a win, but they had only conceded five goals in the last six games.
But they had not scored in the last four.
That run was nearly ended when Schlupp played in Wilfried Zaha, who cut onto his right foot and fired a low shot that hit the post in a lively start from Palace.
Joe Whitworth denied Saka at the other end, but the young keeper could not get a hand to Martinelli’s impressive drilled shot across goal into the bottom-right corner.
Saka doubled Arsenal’s lead shortly before half-time when exchanging passes with Ben White and coolly curling the ball away from Whitworth.
Palace were further behind 10 minutes into the second half through Xhaka’s bundled finish after being played through by Leandro Trossard.
Schlupp’s strike from six metres after Arsenal failed to deal with a corner gave the visiting fans something to cheer, but Saka’s sharp first-time finish made certain of a routine win.
Sheffield United rallied, Brighton cruised and Fulham lost their heads as the FA Cup produced another afternoon of high drama.
When the dust had settled second-tier Sheffield United were drawn to meet Manchester City, with the participation of Sunday’s matchwinner dependent on City’s generosity, and Brighton paired with a Manchester United side whose progress to the last four was gifted by their opponents’ meltdown.
The Blades trailed twice before beating fellow Championship club Blackburn Rovers at Bramall Lane 3-2.
Premier League Brighton & Hove Albion then brushed aside fourth-tier Grimsby Town 5-0 at the Amex.
With the draw made after that match Fulham seemed set to face the Seagulls, leading at Old Trafford 1-0 with less than 20 minutes left and in control.
Then Willian was sent off for handballing a goalbound shot on the line. Fulham protests led to their goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic being dismissed for pushing the referee Chris Kavanagh, and manager Marco Silva for attempting to influence the official as he looked at the VAR screen.
Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty, Marcel Sabitzer tapped in a few minutes later, and Fernandes added a third against the nine men to make it 3-1 in injury-time.
Until Fulham’s implosion the dramatic moment of the day had appeared to be a stunning injury-time winner by Tommy Doyle.
The 21-year-old, whose grandfathers Mike Doyle and Glyn Pardoe both played at Wembley for Manchester City, booked the Blades’ place at the stadium, which hosts both semi-finals, with a 25-yard drive.
However, Doyle will only be allowed to play if City, who beat Championship leaders Burnley 6-0 on Saturday, permit him as he is on loan from the Premier League champions.
United had trailed 1-0 and 2-1 to Rovers. Ben Brereton Diaz, from the spot, and Sam Szmodics had each put Rovers ahead, but an own goal by Sam Gallagher and an 81st-minute scuffed finish by Oli McBurnie earned the Blades parity before Doyle’s clincher.
“For us to be in with a chance of automatic promotion and be in the semi-final of the FA Cup is an unbelievable achievement, and it is a big pat on the back for everyone at the club,” said United manager Paul Heckingbottom.
“It’s been a fantastic season so far and I am focused on capping it off, it could end up being an unbelievable one.”
Playing against a team that had already beaten five sides from higher divisions, including top-flight Southampton, Brighton made the perfect start.
Moises Caicedo’s sixth-minute shot was parried by Max Crocombe but Deniz Undav drove in the rebound.
Grimsby subsequently held out until the break, but soon after Irish teenager Evan Ferguson superbly controlled a pass from World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister before scoring Albion’s second.
The promising youngster struck again after 70 minutes before a Solly March header and a deflected shot from Kaoru Mitoma completed the scoring.
“We can decide or we go to Wembley to visit Wembley like a tourist, or we go to try to win,” said Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi, making clear his preference.
Grimsby, who are 76 places lower than their hosts in England’s football pyramid, rarely threatened a goal but were nevertheless cheered on by thousands of travelling fans, many with inflatable Harry the Haddock mascots.
© AAP
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