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Manchester United welcomed Arsenal to Old Trafford in gameweek 14 of the Premier League on Thursday night. Having drawn with league leaders Chelsea on Sunday, the Red Devils were desperate for a better outcome in their midweek clash with the Gunners.
A well-taken brace from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Manchester United to a 3-2 win, ending Michael Carrick’s short managerial stint on a high note.
The clash between the two Premier League heavyweights witnessed a moment of chaos in the 13th minute. With David de Gea down inside the box, Emile Smith-Rowe collected the ball from Mohamed Elneny and hit the back of the net. The referee eventually blew the whistle, but did not rule out the goal.
Manchester United responded in the 44th minute, with Bruno Fernandes getting in at the end of a well-worked move to score the equalizer. Cristiano Ronaldo and Martin Odegaard scored for Manchester United and Arsenal respectively to take the game to 2-2.
Finally, Ronaldo stepped up for a spot-kick in the 70th minute and converted with ease to win the game for Manchester United.
It was far from a comfortable display by the home side, but their tenacity ultimately shone through. Here are the five Manchester United players who performed under pressure against the Gunners:
#5 Diogo Dalot
Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s sub-par display against Chelsea earned Diogo Dalot a place in Manchester United's starting XI against Arsenal. The right-back was impressive against the Gunners, contributing heavily to Manchester United’s build-ups on the right flank.
Dalot had 57 touches in the match, completed 30 passes, and put one long ball into the area. His exceptional reverse pass was pivotal to Manchester United’s second goal, which saw the hosts take the lead for the first time in the match.
Dalot was decent at the back as well. He won seven duels, completed three tackles and intercepted two potentially dangerous passes.
#4 Scott McTominay
In his final match in charge, Michael Carrick deployed the tried and tested double pivot of Scott McTominay and Fred.
McTominay did not score a goal or provide an assist, but he played a big part in maintaining control in the middle of the park.
McTominay used his physicality exceptionally well to take the fight to Arsenal midfielders. He won eight ground duels and six aerial duels, suffocating the Arsenal midfield.
The Scotland international also registered six tackles, made one interception and cleared the ball three times over the course of the match.
#3 Fred
Manchester United midfielder Fred played an important part in the 3-2 win over Arsenal on Thursday night. However, at the start of the match, the Brazilian midfielder looked on course for another torrid night in Manchester United colours.
During an Arsenal corner in the 13th minute, Fred got in the way of his goalkeeper David de Gea. The Spaniard was quick to go to ground, urging the referee to stop the play.
The on-field official let the game flow, which allowed Smith-Rowe to hit the back of the net of an unguarded goal. That goal acted as a wake-up call for Fred and he slowly started to regain consciousness.
Deployed in a more advanced role, Fred brought his attacking ingenuity to the table. He combined well with the Manchester United attackers and assisted Bruno Fernandes’ 44th-minute goal.
Finally, in the 68th minute, Fred won the penalty that allowed Manchester United to overcome a spirited Arsenal side at Old Trafford.
#2 Bruno Fernandes
Following a few difficult weeks in Manchester United colors, Bruno Fernandes finally seemed to get his mojo back in the hard-fought win over Arsenal. The Portugal international was deployed as an attacking midfielder on Thursday, but had the license to move into other areas as he saw fit.
He used his license to roam to slide into little pockets of space and play little one-twos with Manchester United forwards.
Fernandes made four key passes, created one big chance, and won four ground duels. His adventurous play saw him be dispossessed a total of 16 times, but his overall contribution comfortably eclipsed his lapses.
His moment of the match came in the 44th minute when a Fred cut-back played him through on goal. Fernandes took it first time across goal to level the game for Manchester United in the first half itself.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo
In Sunday’s clash with Chelsea, Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench by Michael Carrick and was not brought on until the 64th minute. Against Arsenal, Ronaldo was restored to the starting XI, and the Portuguese rewarded his coach’s faith with his best Premier League performance of the season.
Cristiano Ronaldo endured a quiet first half, but came charging like a bull in the second 45. In the 52nd minute, Ronaldo received a low cross from Marcus Rashford inside the Arsenal ball.
The 36-year-old hit the ball first time and rippled the far bottom corner to put Manchester United 2-1 up.
His second goal, Manchester United’s winner, came from the spot in the 70th minute. Martin Odegaard’s foul on Fred drew a penalty and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner made no mistake putting it away.
With his double against Arsenal, Ronaldo took his career goal tally to 801, becoming the first player in the 21st century to reach the milestone.
