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Mikel Arteta praised the impact of his substitutes after Arsenal’s 3-0 win over Sunderland sent them nine points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Second-half goals from Viktor Gyokeres, both scored after coming off the bench, added to a sublime first-half strike from Martin Zubimendi as Arsenal eventually broke down a stubborn Sunderland side at the Emirates.

“I’m very, very happy with the win, with big parts of the performance and with the clean sheet as well,” Arteta said.

“It’s a really tough opponent. They are really good at what they do. They break your press, they play to the last man, they hold the ball well and it’s very difficult to get sequences with threat and momentum. But we knew that, and I think the first goal really helped to unlock that phase of the game.”

Zubimendi’s opener, struck from outside the box, continued Arsenal’s recent trend for long-range goals, something Arteta joked had been discussed beforehand.

“That’s after our conversation,” he laughed. “I told them.”

“There was time and space. If the space is not in one place, it will be somewhere else. And there were three really good shots. Martin is contributing to the team in a way that maybe we didn’t expect that much, but he has the intuition and quality to deliver moments around the box.”

The game changed decisively after Gyokeres’ introduction, with the striker taking his tally to eight goal contributions in his last eight games. Arteta said the reaction to his absence from the starting line-up showed just how influential he has become.

“When he came on, he was ready straight away,” Arteta said. “We know how important the finishers are, the impact they are having on the team, the results and where we are at the moment. I’m very happy with him.”

Arteta was particularly pleased with Gyokeres’ mentality after a season that has not always been straightforward.

“When you put that shirt on, it comes with responsibility and huge expectations,” he said. “You will have moments where it goes really well and others that are tough. But I love his character, the way he approaches every single day and how focused he is on the present.”

“He doesn’t seem too affected by the highs or the lows. That’s what we need – stability.”

Despite the growing gap at the top, Arteta was keen to downplay the significance of the league table at this stage.

“It means nothing,” he said. “We still have to win so many games to achieve what we want. We’ve done our job today and now we have to prepare for Brentford, which will be really tough.”

Asked if he would be watching Liverpool against Manchester City, Arteta smiled.

“Yes. I’m going to have a beautiful dinner tonight, and tomorrow I start preparing for Brentford. But for sure, I will be watching a big, big game.”