It was a mismatch on paper and it ended up being a mismatch on the pitch as Arsenal defeated Sunderland 5-1 in the 2021-22 Carabao Cup quarterfinal round at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The game pitted the Premier League hosts against a visiting side from League One, and as expected it was the top-flight club that came away the victors.
That isn't to say that Sunderland didn't account well for themselves — the Black Cats played a fearless, attacking style that had Arsenal on the back foot for stretches during Tuesday's encounter — but ultimately the quality of the Gunners proved too much to handle.
In particular, Eddie Nketiah made the most of a rare start for Mikel Arteta's side by scoring a hat-trick. The 22-year-old scored the game's opening goal in the 17th minute in a moment of opportunism and luck, but his two other goals were a testament to his skill and focus as they were each the final touches of superb moves by the Arsenal attack.
Sunderland did manage to get themselves on the scoresheet as Nathan Broadhead hit a lovely chip over Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno just past the half-hour mark. The goal came shortly after the Gunners had gone up 2-0 through a Nicolas Pepe strike, and it gave the visitors a modicum of hope that lasted through the halftime break, but Nketiah's efficiency in front of goal eventually ended any chance of an unlikely comeback.