Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United: Highlights and recap
Arsenal beat Manchester United 2-0 at the Emirates on Sunday, May 7. Here are all the highlights from the match.
The pre-match chatter ahead of Manchester United’s trip to north London to face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday centered on Jose Mourinho’s team selection. The United manager had hinted all week he would field a weakened team to maximize his side’s chances in the Europa League.
The starting XI was much changed, but not the youth team some expected. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones lined up at center-back, Wayne Rooney was brought into midfield and Anthony Martial led the line up front. The 19-year-old Axel Tuanzebe was the only real left-field choice in the lineup.
Arsenal went for the 3-4-3 Arsene Wenger has preferred for the past few weeks. The Gunners, if the team’s two managers are to be believed, had more to play for, and they possession in the first half, despite struggling to create chances.
Aaron Ramsey, played through by a lovely Granit Xhaka pass, saw his low shot saved by David de Gea in the ninth minute, but other than that it was a mostly ineffective attacking performance by the Gunners. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the only other player to come close, but his long range strike was saved comfortably by de Gea.
Martial caused a few problems on the break, but only forced one good save out of Petr Cech. Rooney had United’s best chance, but was also thwarted by the Arsenal keeper after capitalizing on an error by Rob Holding.
The second half looked to be following the same, mostly uneventful pattern until Arsenal received a huge slice of luck in the 54th minute, when Xhaka’s speculative strike took a huge deflection off Ander Herrera, looping over de Gea and into the net.
The Gunners doubled their lead more conventionally only three minutes later. Danny Welbeck was the scorer, heading in powerfully after an excellent Oxlade-Chamberlain cross. The win was Wenger’s first against Mourinho in the Premier League in 13 attempts.
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Highlights
The win moves sixth-place Arsenal onto 63 points, two behind fifth-place United and six behind Manchester City in fourth, albeit with a game in hand. City and Liverpool remain in control of the race for the top four, but the Gunners kept their slim chances alive with the win.