VIEWS
Manchester United claimed a first Premier League win for three years over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday tea-time in an enthralling encounter which featured great goals, a red card and a David De Gea masterclass.
Goals from Antonio Valencia and a double from the in-form Jesse Lingard were enough to see off an Arsenal side who had not lost at home since January. But the Reds' superb victory was down in no small part to De Gea, who was in scintillating form. The only negative of the afternoon was the red card for Paul Pogba, who will miss the next three matches including next Sunday's huge derby clash.
Both sides were unchanged from their midweek victories, with Nemanja Matic deemed fit enough to start after going off injured at Watford and Alexandre Lacazette also selected despite being initially being ruled out of the game with a groin injury.
The Gunners were on a 12-game winning run on their own patch, but the hosts were the architects of their own downfall early on with the Reds ahead inside four minutes. Laurent Koscielny's pass to Sead Kolasinac was easily intercepted by Valencia who played a one-two with Pogba before slotting home brilliantly through the legs of Petr Cech.
Seven minutes later, Arsenal lost possession again and United took full advantage. Lingard flicked the ball off Shkodran Mustafi’s toe and found Romelu Lukaku who slipped a pass into Anthony Martial and the Frenchman’s sublime lay-off allowed Lingard to instantly sweep the ball in off the post.
The Reds looked almost unstoppable in attack, but Mourinho’s men were thankful for a combination of vital De Gea saves and some last-ditch defending which ensured United ended the half well in control. De Gea knew little about his first brilliant stop as Lacazette’s shot deflected off the keeper on the ground and up onto the bar, before Granit Xhaka fired just wide.
The Spaniard held on to a well-struck Mesut Ozil volley, before pulling off a superb double save, diving to palm away Hector Bellerin’s drive and then claiming Kolasinac’s bobbling effort.
The best save of the lot though came on the stroke of half-time, and from his own player. An Alexis Sanchez free-kick was swung in and the ball ricocheted off Lukaku forcing De Gea to claw the ball away from almost inside his own net.
Four minutes after half-time, De Gea could do nothing to prevent the Gunners grabbing one back as Sanchez’s cross found Ramsey, who had burst through the defence which stood still expecting offside and could only watch on as Lacazette fired the ball home.
United responded almost immediately as Lingard found himself through at the other end and, after Cech had deflected his attempted chip onto the post, Martial’s follow-up from a matter of three yards rebounded back off Nacho Monreal and away from danger.
It was time for more De Gea heroics on 55 minutes when the stopper saved one-handed from Lacazette, before reacting immediately to block Sanchez’s effort from point-blank range with his foot.
There was to be no let-up in the action as United reclaimed the two-goal advantage quite brilliantly just after the hour-mark. Lukaku set Lingard clear who found Pogba down the right and the marauding midfielder held off the attentions of Koscielny to cross for Lingard to tap into an empty net.
You hoped that would be enough for United to see out the game but things were made more difficult when Pogba was shown a red card for a foul on Bellerin on 74 minutes. A three-match ban is expected to follow with the Frenchman set to be a massive miss in next weekend’s Manchester derby.
More De Gea saves and a couple of penalty claims by Arsenal followed but United held out for a vital victory in one of the most absorbing encouters of the season. Now for the derby.
TEAM LINE-UPS
Arsenal: Cech; Koscielny (c), Mustafi (Iwobi 15), Monreal; Bellerin, Ramsey, Xhaka (Welbeck 70), Kolasinac (Giroud 77); Ozil, Sanchez; Lacazette.
Booked: Bellerein, Koscielny, Sanchez.
Subs not used: Ospina (GK), Mertesacker, Coquelin, Wilshere.
United: De Gea; Valencia (c), Lindelof, Smalling, Rojo, Young (Rashford 90); Matic, Pogba; Lingard (Darmian 76), Martial (Herrera 67); Lukaku.
Booked: Rojo, Herrera.
Sent off: Pogba.
Subs not used: Romero, Blind, McTominay, Mata.
LINGARD AT THE DOUBLE
Fresh from his superb solo effort in midweek, Lingard kept up his scoring antics with a fantastic double at the Emirates - the first time he has scored two goals in a single Premier League game. Both goals were team works of beauty and Jesse’s finish for the first was particularly impressive. His constant pressuring of the Arsenal defence throughout the evening played a big part in United’s victory and it was he who snatched possession in the lead-up to his first strike.
DAVE SAVES
You could have been forgiven for losing count of the amount of not just saves David De Gea made during a fraught 90 minutes, but quite incredible saves. Opta stats confirmed after the game that he made 14 in all, the joint-most by a goalkeeper in a single Premier League match. The United stopper could do nothing about Arsenal’s goal, but the Gunners will wonder how they did not find another way past the Spaniard. His best save of the lot arguably came from his own player when he somehow kept out Lukaku's deflected effort.
MATIC GIVES EVERYTHING
Jose said before kick-off that Nemanja Matic "wants to play," despite the manager's feeling that he was not completely fit, but you’d never have known after that performance. The midfielder was as brave as ever as he made some vital blocks, including one from Lacazette in the first half and, after Pogba’s dismissal, he was a real calming influence in front of United’s dogged backline.
MANCHESTER DERBY AWAITS
United's next game in the Premier League is, quite simply, the biggest of the season. Today's result means the Reds have cut Manchester City's lead to five points, but the Blues can extend it to eight again with victory over struggling West Ham on Sunday. Then all eyes will be on Old Trafford next Sunday afternoon, with United knowing victory is a must.
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