Arsenal moved two points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool with a huge 6-0 win over Sheffield United.
Having seen title rivals Liverpool edge past Nottingham Forest and Manchester City defeat Manchester United, Mikel Arteta's men knew they had to respond at the Championship-bound Blades.
Arsenal did so in style and could easily have struck more than the five first-half goals they managed at Bramall Lane, where the Monday evening mauling was completed by a Ben White thunderbolt.
This was the Gunners' seventh straight Premier League win and saw them become the first English league side to win three consecutive away games by five or more goals.
By contrast, the Blades have now conceded five or more in four successive home games in all competitions - not exactly the fight boss Chris Wilder promised from his rock-bottom side.
Instead, United fans watched one the most humiliating first halves in Premier League history, with a Jayden Bogle own goal coming between efforts from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli in the opening 15 minutes.
Kai Havertz and Declan Rice made it five by the half-time, which was greeted by boos from the Blades fans who had not already headed for a pint or an early exit.
White brilliantly fizzed home Arsenal's sixth - the 10,000th goal in club history - as Arteta rung the changes, including taking off injured Martinelli after withdrawing Bukayo Saka at the break.
