By Sulaimon Jamiu
Manchester United have registered a fourth win on the bounce following an emphatic 3-1 victory over Premier League leaders, Arsenal, putting an end to the visitors’ unbeaten start to the new campaign.
As expected from a clash between two football giants, the opening 15 minutes was frantic. Despite the Reds starting well, it was Arsenal who almost struck first.
Martin Odegaard dispossesed Christian Eriksen on the half-way line, with Bukayo Saka picking the ball up and slotting it through our defence to find Gabriel Martinelli who comfortably finished beyond David De Gea. But, a goal review courtesy of VAR, deemed Odegaard had fouled Eriksen in the build-up, and the visitors’ lead was chalked off.
On the half-hour mark, Manchester United shot-stopper, De Gea, made a brilliant save to deny Martinelli an almost certain goal in the 31st minute.
An opening goal from new-signing, Antony, on his debut gave Erik ten Hag’s side the lead in the 35th minute of play, before going into the break at Old Trafford.
The visitors pushed forward in the latter stages of the first half, but it was Ten Hag’s side who went in at the break with the advantage.
Arsenal came out in the second period with a point to prove, creating a handful of opportunities and dominating from the off. Their patience going forward finally paid off when Saka levelled the score on the hour mark; the Reds initially did well to prevent Gabriel Jesus getting a shot on goal, but the ball fell into the path of Saka who made no mistake to slot the ball into a vacant net.
But parity in the scoreline would last just six minutes before Rashford put the hosts ahead once again, as Eriksen fed the ball into Fernandes, who played a line-breaking pass beyond Arsenal’s defence to find the oncoming Rashford, the Englishman kept his cool to slot past Ramsdale.
Ten minutes later, United’s number 10 bagged his second strike of the game – and his third goal involvement – with an emphatic finish.
Once again, the trio of Fernandes, Eriksen and Rashford combined, to give the Reds breathing space heading into the final 10 minutes.
This results mean that Manchester United are just 3 points behind the log leaders, Arsenal.
It’s important to remember that United have never lost a home Premier League game after leading at half-time – and that record remains intact as the game finished 3-1.
