- Arsenal defeated Manchester United 3-2 at the Emirates in the Premier League
- Arsenal had to wait till stoppage time to score the winning goal in the thrilling clash
- Arsenal portrayed tireless brilliance in the clash as they went clear at the top of the table
The grunts from Manchester red and blue, the budding of Eddie Nketiah, and the dancing feet of Bukayo Saka. This was a day that Arsenal won’t soon forget if this is to be their season.
Nketiah’s second goal of the contest in the 90th minute sealed a modern classic in this fierce rivalry. Despite Manchester United’s tremendous effort, Arsenal emerged as the victor. In the end, it was 3-2, and Nketiah and his manager, Mikel Arteta, were ecstatic to hear the cries of “Eddie, Eddie.”
What kind of spirit did the home players have? With the support of a crowd that believes in them and thinks the end of a 19-year championship drought is near, Arsenal never stopped advancing, and United eventually gave in.
United had already made sure that this Arsenal couldn’t follow in the footsteps of the 2003–04 “Invincibles” and go undefeated in the Premier League with a 3–1 victory at Old Trafford in September.
Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah celebrates after scoring the gunners’ opener in the Premier League clash against Manchester United on Sunday, Jan 22 2023. | PHOTO: Sports Illustrated |
But despite playing 19 games, the Gunners have only lost once, and this was United’s fifth defeat, putting the crown out of their reach now that their comeback has encountered a setback.
On this day, Cristiano Ronaldo made his Al Nassr debut, while Marcus Rashford scored another outstanding goal for the team, demonstrating once more how United is better off without the Portugese. However, United’s newest center striker, loanee Wout Weghorst, was primarily quiet, while Antony on the right flank pretended to be somebody he wasn’t. This was a sharp difference that was easy to see.
Nketiah prowled and troubled United’s defence and received his huge reward, while Saka’s twinkle toes caused Luke Shaw problems all afternoon. Arteta now trusts Nketiah as a frontman for the big moment. Nketiah scored twice from close range, while Saka scored the game’s only goal.
Saka joined Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg as the only Arsenal players to score in three straight Premier League games versus United. They were both Highbury heroes and former Gunners greats.
Since moving to Emirates Stadium, they have yet to win the Premier League, but 50 points through 19 games is a decent start, putting Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City and having a game in hand.
Before United made the breakthrough, Saka had started to prowl with intent. Rashford evaded Thomas Partey and fired an incredible 20-yard shot into the bottom-left corner.
Rashford now has nine goals overall since returning from England’s World Cup campaign, which is more than any other player from one of the major five European leagues. That was his ninth Premier League goal of the year.
This was encouraging because United had not dropped a Premier League match after taking the lead since losing 4-2 to Leicester City on October 16, 2021. However, the 26-game winning streak in these contests would soon be in jeopardy.
In the 24th minute, Granit Xhaka’s cross from the left gave the Swiss midfielder his fifth assist of the year as Nketiah headed Arsenal equal in front of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Arteta was incensed as the conflict heated up; Shaw challenged Saka but was not cautioned; he later received a yellow card as punishment.
When Saka one-stepped with the ball at his feet on the right and teased Christian Eriksen before launching a left-footed shot from 25 yards out that fizzed the ball into the far bottom corner, Arsenal stormed ahead. Saka was at his beautiful best.
Saka scored his eighth goal in the Premier League this year. He will make some efforts to improve it.
Gareth Southgate would have been enjoying the game up to this point, but he would not have pleased to see Aaron Ramsdale fumble at a corner shortly after, allowing Lisandro Martinez to loop in the header that tied the score for United in the 59th minute.
“This is retro Man United-Arsenal,” bellowed Gary Neville on Sky Sports.
With City’s earlier 3-0 thrashing of Wolves narrowing the lead at the top, Manchester City must have loved the look of the 2-2 score between their top-four opponents. However, Arsenal weren’t done yet. Saka came close with a strike that flicked off Eriksen and grazed the right post’s outside.
From the 60th to the 75th minutes, Arsenal held 69.9% of the ball, staking out their target but unable to finish the kill.
In the 82nd minute, they substituted Leandro Trossard for Gabriel Martinelli, a recent addition from Brighton and Hove Albion.
In a past season, heads may have fallen, but this time, Arsenal continued to advance.
In the 90th minute, they received their prize. Martin Odegaard was the recipient of Zinchenko’s cutback, and with Fred close by, the skipper bundled the ball on for Nketiah to toe in from four yards.
Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah scored the winner in the 90th minute in the Premier League clash against Manchester United. | PHOTO: Daily Post |
At Emirates Stadium, Alex Ferguson and David Beckham had hoped to witness United’s comeback in action, but Arsenal put them in their place by winning six of their previous eight home league games against the Red Devils.
In terms of overcoming years of misery, United may be one season Arsenal.
Although Erik ten Hag’s squad is not far away, they came across anything that resembled a final product here. It won’t be an easy road for Arsenal from here on after winning the North London Derby and defeating United, but once you get over those obstacles, why worry about anything?
There is only one way of answering that, its Manchester City up next for the gunners in the FA Cup on Friday.
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