Ipswich 0 – 4 Arsenal

Arsenal ensured Liverpool could not win the Premier League title on Sunday as they breezed to a 4-0 win at 10-player Ipswich, whose relegation is all but assured.

Mikel Arteta named eight of the team who beat Real Madrid in the Bernabeu on Wednesday night, including a first Premier League start for Bukayo Saka since December 21. And the Gunners scored two goals down Saka’s flank inside the first 28 minutes.

For the first, Saka’s cutback from the right was touched on by Martin Odegaard to Leandro Trossard, who poked home. The second was pretty much identical as Mikel Merino flicked another delivery on to Gabriel Martinelli, who could not miss from a few yards out.

It got easier for Arsenal, as Leif Davis raked down Saka’s Achilles to receive a straight red card from Chris Kavanagh, with VAR agreeing with the call.

Saka was then booed on every touch by the Ipswich fans – but the Arsenal winger ended an eventful first half by missing three big chances inside the box. He was then taken off before the hour mark and received treatment on the same leg that Davis challenged.

Both teams played the second half at near-walking pace, though Arsenal did up the pace at a corner from which came their third goal. The Gunners went short through Declan Rice and Odegaard, the former slipping in Trossard who found the net for his second.

After Odegaard had hit the post and as the clock ticked towards stoppage time, Arsenal substitute Ethan Nwaneri came off the bench to score the fourth and final goal via a double deflection.

The two second-half goals summed up Ipswich’s lack of motivation and the harsh reality they now face. Wolves’ win at Manchester United means they are now 15 points from safety with only 15 points able to be won, with a much worse goal difference than 17th-placed West Ham.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are now 10 points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool, who now cannot win the title until Wednesday evening at the earliest.