After a 5-0 victory that left little to the imagination, Arsenal once again proved their mettle against Sheffield United.

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom was forced to acknowledge this reality, describing how his team was “outfought” by Arsenal’s “good technical quality”.

In the wake of a crushing 5-0 defeat to Arsenal, Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom found himself grappling with hard truths.

“I thought in the first half Wes Foderingham had one save to make,” he said.

“A really poor goal from our perspective. Second half really poor goals that we conceded.

“We know Arsenal have good technical quality, and in the second half they were more aggressive and they outfought us as well in the second half.”

Arsenal’s stats tell the story

Heckingbottom’s admission that Arsenal were “more aggressive” and “outfought” Sheffield United becomes all the more poignant when viewed through the lens of match statistics. Consider these key metrics:

• Ball Possession: Arsenal controlled 67% of the possession, leaving Sheffield with a meagre 33%.
• Expected Goals (xG): Arsenal boasted a staggering 2.78 xG compared to Sheffield’s almost nonexistent 0.03.
• Total Shots: Arsenal took 13 shots, while Sheffield managed just two.
• Pass Accuracy: The Gunners completed 598 passes at a 90% accuracy rate, overshadowing Sheffield’s 240 passes at 75% accuracy.

Player performances echo the narrative

The individual player ratings from the match further accentuate Arsenal’s superior technical quality, a point that Heckingbottom himself conceded:

• Eddie Nketiah: 9.6
• Declan Rice: 7.8
• Gabriel Martinelli: 7.6
• Takehiro Tomiyasu: 7.5
• More here

What it means for Heckingbottom and Sheffield United

Heckingbottom’s sobering remarks indicate a manager well aware of his team’s limitations and shortcomings.

Given that his job security is increasingly under scrutiny, with Chris Wilder tipped as a possible successor, the brutally honest appraisal seems like the comments of a man feeling the pressure.