Manchester United 3-2 Arsenal
by Layth Yousif
at Old Trafford

CRISTIANO RONALDO’S brace helped the Red Devils to victory over the Gunners as he made it 801 career goals in a lively match, which once again underlined both team’s frailties.

Emile Smith Rowe fired in the opener with goalkeeper David de Gea down injured after Fred trod on his heel, with VAR awarding the goal after referee Martin Atkinson had a look at the monitor — which made it quite hard to understand just why the former Lyon player frantically urged the official to disallow the goal.

Either side of the interval, Bruno Fernandes and the evergreen Ronaldo struck to put United 2-1 ahead, before Martin Odegaard levelled to make it 2-2.

However, Ronaldo slotted home a penalty winner after a VAR check for Odegaard’s sloppy foul on Fred, as the former Real Madrid and Juventus star moved to 12 goals in 16 games this season.

With his two goals, 36-year-old Ronaldo became the first player in history to reach 800 goals in competitive games for club and country, in 1,097 matches.

The game was watched by Ralf Rangnick, who now replaces Michael Carrick as interim United boss after the final whistle — with the former United midfielder announcing after the match that he would be leaving the club to spend more time with his family.

Arteta’s Arsenal remain in fifth place, but missed a chance to leapfrog West Ham in the top four after a display in which a number of experienced players once again fell short in their performance.

None more so than the ineffective Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who once again underwhelmed during a defeat to a major power in the north-west.  

No wonder Arteta said afterwards: “I’m disappointed we didn’t get something out of the game. When you concede three at Old Trafford, it’s unlikely you’ll get something out of the game.

“We are here to win football matches. That’s a lesson that [playing well at times] is not enough. We have to do things better.”

With this frustrating defeat comes the realisation that while the young talents of Bukayo Saka and goalscorer Smith Rowe are to be applauded — who between them have provided seven goals and four assists during the campaign so far, it is the club’s senior players that have been found wanting at crucial times this season.

Aubameyang, Odegaard — who despite his goal had a poor night, not least when conceding the winning spot-kick — Alex Lacazette and others failed to impose their undoubted talents on a struggling United side.

Against a home side who were racked with indecision and misplaced passes in the opening stages, which was reflected in the travails of their poor form going into the match, with the Red Devils taking only five points from their previous eight matches, their worst run in the Premier League era, the Gunners stumbled to defeat.

With Antonio Conte’s Spurs beating Brentford on the same night, the Gunners will need to be more ruthless when they travel back to the north-west on Monday evening in a bid to get back to winning ways against struggling Everton at Goodison Park.