Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United
by Layth Yousif
at Ashburton Grove

ARSENAL landed a significant blow in the battle for Champions League qualification by beating Manchester United 3-1 in an action-packed game, by proving a week is a long time in football.

In a thrilling contest, Mikel Arteta’s side all but ended the Red Devils’ hopes of finishing in the top four on Saturday lunchtime at Ashburton Grove.

The vibrant Gunners banished memories of three dismal defeats on the bounce, coming into the game on the back of an extraordinary 4-2 victory over Chelsea in midweek.

On a gloriously sunny spring day in north London, they put paid to Ralf Rangnick’s ambitions of competing in European’s club football’s blue riband tournament next term, with the United interim boss admitting as much after the match, albeit with a smattering of luck for Arsenal, along with a little help from VAR.

Where to start? 

Despite the increasingly beleaguered Rangnick insisting his side showed an improved response to their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield earlier in the week, Arsenal were ahead in three minutes.

Nuno Tavares put Arteta’s side 1-0 up after slotting home to follow up Bukayo Saka’s shot that David de Gea could only parry.

The goal came after the fit again, but deeply underwhelming Raphael Varane, and Alex Telles failed to clear.

In the seventh minute, Arsenal fans showed their class with a round of applause to show respect for United’s No 7 Cristiano Ronaldo, after the tragic loss of his newborn son.

The Gunners hero of Stamford Bridge, Eddie Nketiah thought he had added to the brace he landed in SW6 when firing home, but his effort was ruled out by VAR for offside.

However, referee Craig Pawson was advised to study the pitch-side monitor for a foul by Telles on Saka moments before Nketiah’s shot.

Penalty duly awarded, the confident Saka converted from the spot to make it 2-0. It was his second of the week, nine months after his miss in the Euro 2020 final for England against Italy at Wembley.

Just when home supporters thought they could revel in leading, what has to be admitted, by far the worst United team since 1989, Ronaldo pulled a goal back before the break, with what was his 100th Premier League goal to make it 2-1.

In a hectic half, de Gea saved from Mohamed Elneny and Martin Odegaard, while Aaron Ramsdale beat away a Telles thunderbolt.

At the end of a breathless opening 45 minutes, United were also left complaining when Pawson did not award a penalty after Cedric Soares appeared to handle in the box while attempting to curtail Jadon Sancho’s run, with right-back Diogo Dalot also hitting the woodwork.

The second half proved to be just as eventful.

Tavares nearly went from hero to villain for inexplicably leaving his arm up after a United corner, leaving Pawson no option but to award a second penalty of the match.

In a pivotal moment, Bruno Fernandes appeared to amplify his usual stuttering footwork, with his tortured run-up seeming to take an age.

The theatrical delay was to help Arsenal as the Portuguese’s spot-kick clipped Ramsdale’s right hand post and away to safety — to leave the keeper incandescent with joy and fury as his emotions erupted near to the failed taker.

There was time for the much-missed Takehiro Tomiyashu to make a return, swapping with Cedric to acclaim from the crowd.

Still United pushed forward, attempting to gain parity, and thought they had, when Ronaldo spun in the box to shoot into the net.

Yet in a marginal call that had Rangnick bizarrely claim afterwards that the VAR lines were in the wrong place, the attempt was ruled out for offside. Dalot then hit the woodwork for the second time.

Arsenal, stung by the raids, decided to end all doubt, when the influential Xhaka, dovetailing well with midfield colleague, the quietly impressive Elneny, fired home a long-range effort to seal the game at 3-1, with a goal that sent the crowd into raptures.

Speaking afterwards, Arteta said: “I think it was a phenomenal game for fans. For us it was a bit of a rollercoaster. We wanted to start the game really quick, really fast. Dominating them, creating issues, very vertical, and we managed to do that.”

“We dominated big periods in the first half. We scored two goals. But then that moment when they scored straight after our second goal, left us a little bit cold and insecure to how they reacted.

“So we had a period of five to 10 minutes where we weren’t really clear on what to do and we were trembling.

“At the start of the second half, again we had some problems to occupy some spaces that they are really good at, and they have so much quality to exploit.

“Then when they missed their penalty, and we made the change in shape and scored the goal, I think that’s where we won it.” 

For the home side, Xhaka’s 25-yard strike on 70 minutes was as heart-warming as his continued redemption.

A delighted Arteta, who has been the Swiss international’s most staunch supporter throughout a series of travails, added: “I was dreaming of that [goal and performance] because he deserves it.”

On a day that got better and better for Arsenal, rivals Spurs failed to beat Brentford in the late kick-off, meaning Arteta’s side ended Saturday in fourth spot, two points ahead of their bitter rivals.

No wonder Arteta concluded that his team has a “real chance” of Champions League qualification. Who would have thought that a mere week ago?