Sheffield United vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and final score as ruthless visitors embarrass hosts

Kick-off is next! Can Arsenal keep the pace in the title race?

With 19 set-piece goals in the Premier League this season, including 13 from corners, Arsenal are gaining on Sheffield United’s total goals output of 22. Arsenal could narrow the gap to Chris Wilder’s side further at Bramall Lane.

Mikel Arteta has told his Arsenal side to go out and further improve their goal difference, admitting it could be a factor in the title race, and insists anything less than 90 points is unlikely to win the Premier League this season.

“First of all you have to earn the right to win the games and then we want to be ruthless and efficient in front of goal. Lately I think we’ve been really good.

“In the last 15 or 20 minutes against Newcastle we could maybe have done a bit more, and we have to continue to do that especially when you bring the subs in because they can re-energise the team and continue at a really high level. It’s something that we want to continue to do.

“The demands, you might have to win every game. I don’t know. I have no clue.

“There are a lot of games and we are all going to have crazy schedules and this league might be different to last season. Anything under 90 points I think it (winning the league) would be very difficult.

“We have to improve in every aspect, that is all, all managers try to be better in what we do.”

Chris Wilder, speaking to Sky Sports: “We need to give our supporters something to shout about as we have not been good enough the last couple of games at home, so we need to make sure we approach the game in the right way.

“It is brilliant to have three of those boys back [Tom Davies, Oli McBurnie and George Baldock] and Ben Brereton Diaz, who was a big signing for us in January and has mossed a few games.

“Davies, McBurnie and Baldock have all played in this division and so have experience of nights like these and they have won in nights like these.”

How Arsenal are ‘raising the bar’ in Premier League title race

Even as Erling Haaland ran riot at Luton and Liverpool’s kids continued to perform miracles for Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, Mikel Arteta was still able to bask in his satisfaction at Arsenal’s recent work. In what increasingly looks likely to be a three-way fight for the Premier League title, Arsenal were the odd ones out as Manchester City and Liverpool advanced to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in midweek. But Arsenal are also outliers in another respect: they are the in-form side in the title race.

Domestic cup pursuits could have boosted City and Liverpool’s momentum in other ways; Klopp may appear to have the golden touch, Liverpool powered by fate, when the German turns to his academy to win silverware. Pep Guardiola’s side can look unstoppable when Haaland scores five goals and Kevin De Bruyne sets up four of them. And yet, a late defeat in Porto besides, it is Arsenal who are gathering pace. Rested, and focused on the league after their FA Cup third-round defeat to Liverpool last month, Arsenal will go for a seventh win in a row when they travel to Sheffield United tonight.

Here’s why:

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, speaking to Sky Sports, on why he has named an unchanged team: “I was tempted because they give me the reason to do that in training every single day - but we start the game like this.

“The consistency that we showed, how strong we have been defensively, conceding little and the determination and positivity to go forward pleased me a lot. We have had to face a lot of low blocks.

“Sheffield United have made some changes as they lack certain people in the backline. We have to be adaptable. The players have to have adaptability to change during matches and understand where the change is going to be.”

The Premier League is heading for a classic title race, with Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal set for a three-way battle as we approach the run-in.

Manchester City, the defending champions, are aiming to win a fourth league title in a row under Pep Guardiola - a feat that has never been achieved in the history of English football. City blew Arsenal away in last year’s run-in, but the Gunners are back in the fight this campaign and have been joined by a resurgent Liverpool side - who are set for an emotional final months of Jurgen Klopp’s time on Merseyside.

Sunday will stage what could be the final clash between Klopp’s Liverpool and Guardiola’s City, in what is a potential title decider at Anfield. The Premier League will then return from March’s international break for another blockbuster fixture, as Mikel Arteta’s side visit the Etihad to take on the champions, having already beaten City earlier this season.

After that, as the Premier League title race enters April, the run-in can truly begin. But which team has the best fixtures and who has the hardest run of games to end the season? Here’s where the title could be won and lost.

Arsenal are unchanged from last weekend’s 4-1 win over Newcastle, so Jorginho stays in midfield and Kai Havertz resumes up front. Gabriel Jesus is joined on the bench by Thomas Partey.

Sheffield United hand a first Premier League start to former Everton midfielder Tom Davies. Oli McBurnie also starts up front.

Line-ups! Arsenal are unchanged.

Sheff Utd: Grbic, Ahmedhodzic, Trusty, Robinson, Bogle, Norwood, Vinicius Souza, Hamer, Tom Davies, McAtee, McBurnie

Subs: Baldock, Brereton, Foderingham, Osborn, Arblaster, Larouci, Osula, Brooks, Peck.

Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior, Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Subs: Ramsdale, Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Cedric, Trossard, Vieira, Nelson.

Team news will be coming out very soon from Bramall Lane. Do Arsenal keep the midfield that worked so well against Newcastle, with Jorginho and Declan Rice together?