Arsenal confidently “welcomed” Manchester United
Playing at the Emirates, Arsenal entered the match confidently after a two-winning streak that propelled them to second place in the league standings. Backed by a passionate home crowd, the “Gunners” launched an aggressive, all-out attack from the first whistle, putting United’s defense under immediate strain.
In the 4th minute, Gabriel Martinelli scored, but the goal was disallowed due to Kai Havertz being offside in the lead-up. United remained composed, weathering Arsenal’s offensive onslaught and counterattacking effectively, creating some difficulties for the hosts. However, despite opportunities for both sides, neither team could break the deadlock, and the first half ended without a goal.
Arsenal’s opening goal
The second half saw Arsenal ramp up their attacking intensity, particularly in set-piece situations, which proved to be United’s undoing. In the 54th minute, defender Jurrien Timber headed in the opening goal from a Declan Rice corner.
MU responded valiantly, with Matthijs de Ligt coming close to an equalizer in the 67th minute. However, goalkeeper David Raya’s brilliant save denied United any hope of drawing level. Arsenal capitalized once again on a corner kick, with William Saliba scoring the second goal of the match. Although Mikel Merino came close to completing a hat trick of set-piece goals for Arsenal, the 2-0 victory was more than enough for the “Gunners” to secure second place, closing in on Liverpool, who had been held to a 3-3 draw by Newcastle in the same round.
Raya’s brilliance denied MU a draw
A Harsh Reality for Ruben Amorim
The defeat marked the end of United’s seven-game unbeaten streak following Erik Ten Hag’s dismissal. Speaking after the match, Amorim acknowledged Arsenal’s superior effectiveness in set-piece situations, stating, “We tried to play our way, as you saw in the first half. We can attack, but it takes time to practice. In the first half, we controlled the game well and created problems for Arsenal. But set pieces changed everything in the second half.”
After all the “dreaming” matches with “Red Devils,” this loss serves as a stark reminder of the challenges Amorim faces in the Premier League. While the result itself is not catastrophic, it is clear that the faith of Red Devils fans is starting to move. Amorim must quickly adapt and rally his team, particularly in defending set pieces much, like Arne Slot has done at Liverpool, to steer Manchester United back onto a winning trajectory. Failure to do so could see the specter of managerial dismissal looming over him sooner rather than later.
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