If any other goalkeeper was in between the Sunderland posts, Arsenal would have walked away from this match with a 6-0 victory. Super-human Jordan Pickford carried the guts of three men, hurling himself at any shot and chance the Gunners created. The 23-year-old had 11 outstanding saves to keep Sunderland's fighting spirit alive. Pickford's efforts were admirable, but the ever persistent Alexis Sanchez scored in the 72nd minute and in the 81st minute.
Games: 37
Goals: 23
Assists: 10Nobody has been involved in more Premier League goals than Alexis Sanchez this season... pic.twitter.com/XwI1fLth1N— BT Sport Score (@btsportscore) May 16, 2017
Alexis Sanchez has scored 23 goals and now finds himself one goal behind the Premier League's leading scorer Romelu Lukaku. The game was sold out on paper, but that was not the case when looking into the stands. Arsenal fans chose to boycott the match due to frustration with the club's manager Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal played extremely well on and off the ball, creating 13 chances on target. If you're an Arsenal fan who had a ticket and boycotted the game, you missed an outstanding performance.
After this victory, Arsenal are knocking on the door of Champions League qualification going into Super Sunday. If Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal win their respective games, Man City will finish 3rd and Liverpool will finish 4th. Qualifying for the Champions League is crucial for teams who want to bolster their squad during the summer transfer window (and not lose top talent).
Arsenal are going to need every bit of luck if they're to crack the top four this season.