Viktor Gyökeres scored twice as Arsenal eased past Sunderland 3-0 at the Emirates to move nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal tightened their grip on the Premier League title race with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium, extending their lead at the top to nine points. The win also saw the Gunners set a new league record, remaining unbeaten in 44 consecutive home matches against newly promoted opposition.
Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last 44 home games against promoted sides:
◉ 39 wins
◉ 5 draws
◉ 0 defeatsIt’s the longest run in Premier League history, beating Chelsea’s record of 43 between 2011 and 2015. 👏 pic.twitter.com/0BomA0Ugxn
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 7, 2026
Mikel Arteta had called for a sharper edge from both his players and the home crowd, but the early stages were cagey as Sunderland settled well and disrupted Arsenal’s rhythm. The visitors almost stunned the Emirates inside the opening 10 minutes when David Raya spilled a Trai Hume free-kick, only for Kai Havertz to recover and block Brian Brobbey’s close-range effort.
As the half wore on, Arsenal began to dominate possession but initially struggled to carve out clear openings. With Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs largely untested, the hosts resorted to long-range efforts, and it was from distance that the breakthrough finally arrived. Declan Rice fired narrowly wide before Martín Zubimendi struck a fierce low shot that clipped the inside of the post on its way in.
Zubimendi’s opener, his second early goal in as many league matches, lifted the tempo. Arsenal pushed for a second before the break, with Gabriel Jesus denied a penalty by an offside call and Havertz curling another effort just off target as the Gunners sensed Sunderland’s vulnerability.
Despite having coped well for much of the first half, Sunderland faced a daunting task after the restart against a side renowned for their second-half dominance. Chemsdine Talbi briefly raised hopes with a low effort that forced Raya into a smart save, but that moment of promise quickly faded.
Just after the hour mark, Arsenal doubled their lead through substitute Viktor Gyökeres. The Swede needed only minutes to make an impact, finishing decisively despite losing his footing after latching onto a Havertz pass. It marked the first time Gyökeres had scored in consecutive Premier League appearances.
THREE BIG POINTS. pic.twitter.com/cvDmdYhrAp
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 7, 2026
Gyökeres completed his brace deep into stoppage time, racing onto a swift counter-attack sparked by Gabriel Martinelli’s pace and composure. The goal sealed another dominant home win, stretching Arsenal’s unbeaten run against Sunderland and moving them ever closer to a long-awaited league title, while Régis Le Bris’ side were left still searching for their first away league victory at Arsenal since 1983.
Gyökeres Impact
Viktory. pic.twitter.com/rrk1gOGsTQ
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 7, 2026
Gyökeres hasn’t quite lived up to the hype that he brought from his time at Sporting Lisbon. From a lack of goals to underwhelming touches, Gyökeres is yet to be the hitman Arsenal bought him to be.
However, despite his lack of goal threat, only Ekitike(10), Joao Pedro, and Bryan Mbeumo(9) are the new Premier League signings who have scored more Premier League goals than Gyökeress(8). Although this seems like a good statistic, it is important to note that six out of Gyökeres’ eight goals in the Premier League have come against newly-promoted sides.
Out of all the summer signings, only Hugo Ekitike, João Pedro & Bryan Mbeumo have scored more Premier League goals than Viktor Gyökeres this season:
🥇 Hugo Ekitike – 10
🥈 João Pedro, Bryan Mbeumo – 9
🥉 Viktor Gyökeres – 8 pic.twitter.com/B9tOW9CtRE— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 7, 2026
Six of Viktor Gyökeres’ eight Premier League goals this season have come against newly promoted sides ⚽️📈 pic.twitter.com/LXznuhB3Vh
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) February 7, 2026
