Two English powerhouses met on Matchday 6 in a stellar match at Old Trafford. Before the match, Manchester United were on a hot run against an undefeated Arsenal. In the end, Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils proved too much for Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, who have only beaten Manchester United at Old Trafford once in sixteen games. Ultimately, Manchester United won the match 3–1 to end Arsenal’s unbeaten start to the season.
Both coaches had their respective teams enter the field in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Then, in the early gates, the spotlight turned to Antony, the newly acquired Brazilian winger from Ajax. In minute five, he finished off his compatriot on the opposing team. In the first ten minutes, Gabriel Jesús went to the ground, after a poor defensive effort by Antonio, who seemed eager to go head to head with his compatriot.
The Red Devils came out dazzling, Christian Eriksen’s one-touch volley deflected wide. But box-to-box action prevailed, as Arsenal responded after an aggressive interception from Eriksen, setting up a breakaway for Martinelli. The Brazilian striker took advantage of the opportunity and put the ball in the back of the net. However, after a second look with VAR, the goal was disallowed. Sure enough, Eriksen was fouled. However, Martinelli showed that he could finish.
Antony made the difference for Manchester United
The enthusiasm in Antonio’s game was evident, considering his debut. Antony continued to make his presence known, with a shot without a goal, well over the bar in the 20th minute. The match heightened Antony’s excitement, with fellow Brazilian Casemiro watching from the sidelines and fellow Brazilians Gabriel Jesus and Martinelli on the team. contrary.
Martinelli’s relentless attack snuck in from the far post in the 31st minute, when the Brazilian’s header was deflected by Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea. But the end-to-end action continued quickly as Antony gave Manchester United the go-ahead goal. Eriksen’s brilliant play saw Arsenal combine two opposing forwards with four defenders. As a result, Antonio was left wide open on the flank. He conceded a shot with the inside of his foot to the far post, 1-0.
Second-half action at Old Trafford
In the second half, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka tried to level the match. The midfielder created space inside the penalty area with a deflection and a shot that went wide. Saka followed him again, running around the opposite side of the box with relentless pressure. A one-on-one with Martinelli led to a Saka cross for a header at the far post. Unfortunately for Arsenal, Saka’s cross bounced off the crossbar.
In the 57th minute Cristiano Ronaldo came on to replace Antonio. Furthermore, the Portuguese winger has already come off the bench in four games this season. However, when the Portuguese winger made the transition onto the pitch, Arsenal quickly blocked Ronaldo’s first involvement with the ball. Moments later, Saka finally scored. Arsenal intercepted the ball in midfield, and the Manchester defense cleared Martin Ødegaard’s pass to Gabriel Jesus, giving Saka a goal, his first of the season to level the game at 1–1.
In the 67th minute, Bruno Fernandes’ through ball found Marcus Rashford on a counterattack. Rashford cut the ball behind goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to make it 2-1. Moments later, Ramsdale nearly conceded another. However, the goalkeeper made a great save after an error inside the penalty area.
For most of the second 45 minutes, end-to-end action persisted, with both Arsenal and Manchester United losing possession of the ball. Gabriel Jesus’ two-touch shot off the dribble in the 70th minute was a decent try. Followed by an immediate response from Ronaldo, who made a run down the wing, finishing off with a wide cross.
In the 73rd minute, Arsenal’s defense pressed too hard. A counterattack caught The Gunners off guard. Eriksen found Rashford for Manchester United’s third goal to make it 3–1. Rashford’s brace resulted in his third goal of the season. With a comfortable lead, captain Harry Maguire and Casemiro entered the field as substitutes in the 80th minute of the game. Casemiro came off the bench in his first two appearances for Manchester United.
Arsenal stats compared to United
However, it was all smiles for Manchester United for the rest of the game. A loose and confident defense prevented any attempts Arsenal could make. In the end, Arsenal kept possession for 61% of the game. In addition, the Gunners added 461 passes, 154 more than Manchester United. With more shots and corner kicks, Arsenal still couldn’t beat Manchester United’s accuracy. The Red Devils had more shots on goal with six, of which three were converted into goals.
With the win, Manchester United move up to fifth place in the standings, three points behind first place Arsenal.
Photo Credit: Martin Rickett via Imago
