Arsenal's 5 Star Performance Caps Off Calendar Year

What better way to celebrate the festive season then with a 5-0 win? Santa brought Gunners fans the 3 points they wanted with a brilliant performance at Carrow Road. With the next fixture against Wolves being postponed, Arsenal’s 5-star display is a terrific way to seal off 2021.

It didn’t take Arsenal long at all to break the deadlock. Arsenal’s forward half pressure was rewarded when Kabak’s hospital pass was intercepted by Tierney. The Scotsman managed to get it to Lacazette who worked it across the top of the box to Martinelli, then to Odegaard and finally to Bukayo Saka. Saka was then able to cut onto his left and slot the ball through defender Brandon William’s legs and into the bottom corner of Angus Gunn’s goal.

05:37 – Arsenal 1 vs 0 Norwich [Saka (G), Odegaard (A)]

Arsenal then dropped off in intensity for a while. Numerous scrappy challenges and even a few altercations brought some life to the game. However, the game remained at 1-0 in favour of the visitors following a botched bicycle kick from Saka and Lacazette failing to head home from around 6 yards out.

Just as it seemed that Norwich had fought their way to half time whilst keeping the deficit at only 1 goal, the Gunners struck again. Martinelli crossed the whole pitch to win the ball before he laid it off to Odegaard. Odegaard picked up the ball in the midfield and created some space for himself, before threading a through ball into the path of an overlapping Kieran Tierney. The LB took one touch into the box before slotting it home off the post, doubling the Arsenal lead and putting them firmly into the driving seat going into half time.

43:10 – Arsenal 2 vs 0 Norwich [Tierney (G), Odegaard (A)]

A slightly quiet start to the second half produced another Tierney shot, this time cannoning off the misplaced arm of Max Aarons and out for a corner. Without any real appeal for from the Arsenal XI, play continued.

As seen so many times before, the Arsenal attack flowed through target man Alexandre Lacazette. The Frenchman picked up the ball in the box, playing it to Bukayo Saka who found himself on the corner of the box. After some quick footwork left Brandon Williams stranded, the Hale End graduate again worked the ball onto his left foot and fired into the same bottom left corner, securing his first ever brace in the Arsenal first team.

66:31 – Arsenal 3 vs 0 Norwich [Saka (G), Lacazette (A)]

Over the next 15 minute span, Arteta made 3 substitutions: Elneny for Partey, Pepe for Saka and Smith-Rowe for Martinelli.

After Smith-Rowe picked up the ball around 25 yards out, he cut the ball into the path of Lacazette. The striker did what he does so prolifically and gets his body between him and the defender, drawing the contact from Kabak and winning a penalty. The Frenchman then stepped up to the spot kick and calmly put it past Angus Gunn into the bottom right corner of the goal, netting the first successful penalty in Arsenal’s last 4 attempts.

83:27 – Arsenal 4 vs 0 Norwich [Lacazette (G)]

Just as stoppage time started, Odegaard played through substitute Pepe, who’s deflected shot fell into the path of fellow substitute Emile Smith-Rowe. Smith-Rowe was then able to finish at the near post, netting his 3rd goal of the bench in just as many matches.

90:12 – Arsenal 5 vs 0 Norwich [Smith-Rowe (G)]

Arsenal walked out of Carrow Road with the 3 points in hand and look onwards to Manchester City (H) – an induction of fire for the new year.