Arsenal on Sunday afternoon defeated Manchester United 1-0 in the premier league match played at Old Trafford courtesy of a Leandro Trossard goal after brilliant assist by Kai Harvetz with the German total assist for the gunners this season more than the three seasons he spent at Stamford Bridge.
United rocked by injuries at the back started with the pairing of Jonny Evans and Casemiro for the second game running with Diego Dalot and Aaron Wan Bissaka the full back options. Amrabat and Kobbie Mainoo started in midfield with Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho on the flanks. Rashmond Hohlund started up front with Scot McTominay behind him. For Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal it was the same line up as to the ones who have started recent games with Takehiro Tomiyasu starting at left back and Benjamin White at right back alongside the impressive duo of William Saliba and Gabriel. Thomas Partey kept his place in middle of the pack in place of Jorginho who signed a contract extension earlier in the week. Alongside the Ghanian in midfield was the impressive Declan Rice and player of the season nominee Martin Odegaard. Leandro Trossard continues to keep Gabriel Martinelli out of the squad starting on the left with Bukayo Saka starting on the right with Kai Harvets up top.
Arsenal started on the front foot and were in front in the 21st minute after a long ball forward by Andre Onana was headed downward by William Saliba finding Ben White who picked out Harvetz who was been kept onside by Casemiro and Harvets shrugged off Evans and square for Trossard who slotted the ball home with Casemiro caught watching and Wan Bissaka not close enough to stop the ball from going it. Big credit though has to be given to United who despite being behind took control of the game with Garnacho skipping past White on a certain occasion before the Arsenal backline cleared the ball away from danger. It ended 1-0 to the gunners at half time.
The gunners started well at the beginning of the second half but could not get the second goal to kill off the game and Manchester United could have grabbed an equaliser after Garnacho put the ball wide off goal when it should have been easier to at the least get his effort on target to work David Raya in the Arsenal goal. Martinelli replaced the Arsenal goal scorer and should have made the game safe for the gunners with the second goal but his effort was brilliantly kept out by Onana in the United goal and the resulting corner was almost turned in by Wan Bissaka for an own goal but the outstretched left hand of the United goal keeper kept the score at one for the gunners. United made tripple change and Gabriel Jesus replaced Saka who went off limping. United surge forward for the goal that would have get them level on the day but Mikel Arteta thwarted united and brought on Jorginho and Kiwior to take control of the game and secured the win which they did to hand the gunners a huge win in the title run-in to take them back on top after Manchester City hard earlier went top of the league after beating Fulham on Saturday 4-0.
What does the win mean for Arsenal and the title?
Arsenal will take the title race down to the last day of the season no matter the outcome on Tuesday night. If City win at Tottenham on Tuesday the gunners will still hope for a slip up on the last day when City host Westham. If the gunners had lost or draw against United, Manchester City would have had one hand on the trophy. For Arsenal its dream on with Pep Guardiola trainee taking the race to the wire against his boss. Arsenal host Everton on last day of the season while City play at home to the Westham. It could all go down to goal difference or goal scored with Arsenal goal scored at 89 to 91 of City and have a goal difference of 61 as against 58 of City. Game on and title on.
This is fantastic.
It’s like watching a match highlight, only with words 👏
Thank you Hannah for your kind words.