Arsenal moved eight points clear at the summit of the Premier League table after they clinched a 4-1 rout over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Gabriel Martinelli’s first-half goal at the Emirates Stadium put the league leaders on track for a sixth consecutive league victory.

It was redemption for Martinelli, whose missed penalty in Thursday’s shootout loss to Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League round of 16 eliminated Arsenal from the competition.

Mikel Arteta’s squad required only 45 minutes against a struggling Palace to erase the sour taste of that defeat.

Saka followed Martinelli’s goal by extending Arsenal’s advantage prior to halftime.

Granit Xhaka scored the third goal after the break, and Jeff Schlupp’s reply was no consolation as the influential Saka scored his second goal to cap Arsenal’s stylish performance.

Arsenal now has a significant eight-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who took the weekend off from Premier League duty to defeat Burnley in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.

With Arsenal having a game in hand and a crucial match against the Gunners looming on April 26, Pep Guardiola’s champions will continue to believe they can win their fifth title in six years.

But going into the international break, Arsenal have ensured that they will control the title race in the final 10 games.

“I’m really pleased with the way we reacted after the Sporting game. We showed a lot of determination,” Arteta said.

“It feels very good, especially with the way we have played and the results we have picked up.

“The desire and energy impressed me. They must come back from the international break with the same mindset they had before.”

Saka is the first player in the Premier League this season to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists. Arteta singled him out for special praise.

“The whole team did really well but Bukayo was really good today, affecting the result with his contribution,” he said.

“That is what we need. We need our front players firing and making the difference and today they did that again.”

After losing the top spot to City in February, Arsenal have responded admirably, displaying a level of maturity and composure far beyond the Gunners’ teams of recent years, who have routinely underachieved.

Arteta deserves a great deal of credit for transforming a team that missed the playoffs last season.

Less than a year later, Arsenal, the first English team to ever win nine London derbies in a single season, has the look of a team poised to win the championship.

Arteta described the match against Crystal Palace as the most important of his managerial career, and his players once again rose to the occasion.

They had the ideal opponent in a Palace squad winless in 13 matches in 2023 and reeling from the dismissal of manager Patrick Vieira on Friday.

Vieira was an integral member of the last Arsenal team to win the championship 19 years ago, and Gunners fans chanted his name throughout the game.

Photo by EPA/Andy Rain