Manchester United took on top-ranked Arsenal in the Premier League today as the Reds looked to extend their current winning streak to four.
Erik ten Hag would have wanted nothing more than to secure another three points against one of the best form teams in the league.
It had been a rocky start for the Dutch manager at the club, with a pair of defeats to start the season, but an emphatic 2-1 win over rivals Liverpool boosted the team’s current form, which has now stretched to four games like Los Diablos Rojos achieved a 3-1 victory.
Here are four things we learned from the 3-1 win.
Antony pleases fans in his debut
For some fans, it was considered a surprise that the Brazilian winger was selected early on after only being an official signing for Man United on Thursday.
Casemiro has not been selected as he is slowly integrated into the squad by Ten Hag after joining the club after pre-season.
A similar situation was expected to happen for the new winger after the form of Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho.
However, Antony soon proved many people wrong after scoring a sensational debut goal 35 minutes into the match.
Scott McTominay knows his place is at stake
It has not gone unnoticed that the Scotland international has stepped up his game this season following the addition of a couple of new midfielders to the club over the summer.
Since the start of the Premier League campaign, McTominay has not made a single misstep having been selected early on in the majority of games under Ten Hag.
Today, he played magnificently, often attacking Arsenal’s forwards and helping the defense when it was clear that United needed reinforcements at the back.
It was a similar performance to the 25-year-old against Leicester and could be why Casemiro has yet to start in a United shirt.
An unusually shaky performance from the defense
It was a complete contrast from the previous two matches for the back four who often struggled to combat Gabriel Jesus.
It became clear that more work is needed to improve the defensive awareness of some of the players.
However, given that Arsenal are the current leaders of the league, it was always clear that there was going to be a real battle throughout the match.
Tyrell Malacia had a poor performance at left back today, with dangerous tackles inside the area and a lucky escape to avoid taking a penalty in the second half.
Rashford enjoys life with Ten Hag
Before the season started, it was going to be a tough season for Rashford, who has one year left on his contract plus an extension option.
Under the new coach, he has played as a striker due to Cristiano Ronaldo’s uncertain future and Anthony Martial’s injury.
Rashford played magnificently in the number nine position, assisting one and scoring two goals as he looked a real threat up front.
It was a troublesome night for the Arsenal defence, who were unbeaten going into today’s game.
United next face Crystal Palace in the Premier League, but before that, a European night against Real Sociedad will take place on Thursday, with expected rotation.
