Goals by Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Arsenal boost their top-four hopes with victory over Manchester United
Updated
Sun 10 Mar 2019 14.53 EDT
First published on Sun 10 Mar 2019 11.30 EDT
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Ole Gunnar Solskjær speaks. “We started slow, maybe a backlash from Wednesday night,” he says. “We were too slow the first 15 minutes – he [Xhaka] had time to hit that ball [for the opening goal]. But we created so many chances, so many more than when we beat them in the cup but that doesn’t help when the result is like it is. It is not scratching your head, sometimes that happens. We hit the woodwork twice, sometimes strikers take them. I know more than anyone, as a striker, that that can happen. I can’t remember any proper saves that David [de Gea] had to make. They didn’t really carve us open. It is one of those days, we have to dust ourselves down and now we play Wolves in the FA Cup.”
Read David Hytner’s match report:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang talks after an absorbing match. “I was confident, all of my team-mates give me a lot of confidence,” the goalscorer says. “Laca [Lacazette] gave me the penalty and that was cool from him. I was really focussed, I made a mistake against Tottenham by looking down at the last moment and not at Lloris. At the last moment I was looking down and that was my mistake. We practice this all the time and today it went in. I knew that it could be tough but I was really confident.” Of what the result does to the league table, he adds: “I think we have everything in our hands but we know it will be tough to finish in the top four. It was important to win this game today. We have a good spirit and we are hungry. We want to come back into the Champions League.”
Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United
All good things come to an end, and Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s unbeaten record in the league is over, after two months and 22 days. United had their fair share of chances but Arsenal were clinical when it mattered, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang passing his penalty down the middle of David de Gea’s goal after Granit Xhaka caught the goalkeeper by surprise to give the hosts an early lead. A brilliant reaction by Arsenal after a miserable defeat in Rennes on Thursday. Victory makes it nine consecutive home wins in the league for Unai Emery. Sweet Caroline rings around the Emirates at the final whistle as Arsenal return to fourth. Romelu Lukaku was brilliant without scoring for United and, on another day, would be leaving with the match ball. Bernd Leno made a string of key saves, while Fred also hit the woodwork.
90+4 min: “I’m so impressed by Emery,” emails Ben Simmons. “Especially tonight it’s clear he’s coached Arsenal into intelligent game management. Smart fouls, a huge decrease of silly fouls in their own area. Players are much more disciplined and do not put undue pressure on themselves in games like this.”
90+3 min: It’s absolutely bucketing it down.
90+2 min: Young whips in a lovely, hanging cross from the right and Rashford is totally unmarked in the box. But his header is off target. These are horrible conditions, but the striker really should have tested Bernd Leno.
90 min: There will be five added minutes. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side need another late show or more likely a miracle to rescue anything here.
88 min: “Tottenham Hotspur, we’re coming for you,” is the verse being belted out by 55,000-plus Arsenal fans. They’re lapping up this win, which will hoist them up to fourth and within a point of Spurs in the Premier League. Assuming United cannot force a comeback, they will trail Arsenal by two points in fifth.
87 min: Rain is lashing down at the Emirates and Greenwood gets a little fortuitous on halfway as the ball zips through to him, but tries to do too much and comes unstuck.
86 min: Lacazette is replaced by the 19-year-old Eddie Nketiah.
85 min: Shaw furrows down the left to meet a Pogba pass, but another United move breaks down. Arsenal have won a meaty midfield battle, with Denis Suárez now mucking in alongside Xhaka.
83 min: Lacazette scoops the ball away from Young before Iwobi takes over. He insists Arsenal should have a corner but instead United earn a goal-kick. They pile forward but, again, Granit Xhaka is there to intercept. He has been fantastic.
82 min: Fred overcooks his crossfield pass in search of Shaw. The home crowd rejoice in his error as Maitland-Niles kickstarts another move down the right.
81 min: Mason Greenwood replaces Nemanja Matic.
80 min: But first, an Arsenal change: Denis Suárez, the Barcelona loanee, is on in place of Aubameyang, who receives a warm ovation. It is all hugs and smiles down on the Arsenal bench, with Mustafi and Mesut Özil seemingly getting the full lowdown on his penalty technique. Arsenal are very much enjoying this.
77 min: And now Smalling is penalised for a foul on Kolasinac. It is just not happening for Manchester United, who are readying 17-year-old Mason Greenwood.
76 min: Martial’s cross from the left almost drops kindly for Lukaku but Sokratis makes life difficult. In the end, Moss blows for a foul against the striker anyway.
75 min: Pogba is booked for pulling Xhaka down on halfway. And that free-kick gives Emery the perfect chance to make a change, as Mesut Özil is replaced by Alex Iwobi.
74 min: A quick stat: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is the first player since Alexis Sánchez in 2016-17 to reach 20 goals in a single campaign for Arsenal.
71 min: After Arsenal’s second goal, another brainless ‘fan’ stormed on to the pitch, making a beeline for Chris Smalling en route to joining the celebrations.
70 min: And now Lacazette flashes just wide! Lindelof completely misjudges a bouncing ball and the Frenchman opts for power, but drags wide. Amid all of that, Ole Gunnar Solskjær made his first change and Matic was booked for his protests against the decision to award Arsenal a penalty. In terms of that change, Anthony Martial makes his return for Manchester United, in place of Dalot.
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd (Aubameyang, 69 pen)
Aubameyang coolly rolls it down the middle. De Gea dives to his left and the goalkeeper is livid with himself. Fred is equally fuming, albeit with Jon Moss, but the midfielder was stupid, giving the referee a decision by pushing Lacazette as he surged into the box. Unai Emery punches the air in delight.
68 min: Arsenal win a penalty! Lacazette is knocked off the ball by Fred. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will take it ...
67 min: Sokratis makes a crucial challenge as Fred attempted to jink inside and Arsenal will break ...
64 min: Leno does well to smother the ball away from Rashford! The striker cleverly swivelled in the box after running on to a cute through ball. Aaron Ramsey squandered possession on the edge of the area and it almost proved costly, as Pogba dinked the ball into the path of Rashford but Leno was equal to it.
63 min: Rashford breaks through the spine of the Arsenal midfield, powering towards the 18-yard box before spreading the ball wide for the marauding Luke Shaw. But there is Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who slides in to cut the ball out.
61 min: Arsenal gift United another sloppy free-kick on halfway, with Fred hauled down. United are probing but Arsenal have their own ideas of adding a second. On the touchline, Emery applauds another decent move, which culminates with Aubameyang’s shot being deflected across goal.
60 min: Lacazette and Kolasinac attempt to combine in the final third, but the former just overhits his return pass. United are growing in confidence.
59 min: Fred and Pogba dummy for Rashford to let fly. It is not lacking power but it’s off target. Leno was fooled, at least.
57 min: Pogba is bumped off the ball by Aubameyang, who was chasing back inside his own half. It was a clumsy challenge. United win a free-kick 25 yards from goal. It is a very inviting position. Rashford and Pogba both fancy it ...
56 min: Maitland-Niles requires a dab of medical treatment.
54 min: Lukaku does superbly, collecting the ball on halfway, pirouetting away from Monreal, displaying some brute strength to power forward and pick out Rashford. He has linked really well with the England striker. United are probing and, as much as Arsenal have been dangerous, Ole Gunnar Solskjær must feel his side are nearing an equaliser.
52 min: Koscielny is back up and moving. He required some treatment as a result of blocking two shots in quick succession, first from Fred and then Lukaku. It was Leno whose heroics prevented Lukaku in truth but Koscielny made strides to succesfully make life difficult for the United forward.
50 min: Jon Moss turns down handball appeals after Fred’s strike cannons against Koscielny’s chest as the Arsenal defender dives in to block. Replays show there is not even a whiff of handball. But then Leno makes a brilliant stop to deny Lukaku, who expertly peels off Monreal, after the striker slid in by Rashford. Lukaku shoots at goal, but Leno makes the save with his right leg.
49 min: Fred does well to rob Lacazette of possession but Rashford and Lukaku are too slow to help him. Neither make the run and Arsenal steal back possession.
49 min: Rashford darts inside before taking aim. It’s high and wide.
48 min: Matic floats a simple ball over the top for Lukaku and, for a moment, the Belgium striker is in one-on-one against Leno. But the Arsenal goalkeeper is quick to read the pass, racing out of goal to nip in and avert the danger.
47 min: Sokratis hoofs clear Dalot’s low cross after United pour forward down the right. Ole Gunnar Solskjær appears to have tweaked things at the interval too, with Ashley Young returning his more orthodox role at right-back as United switch to a back four.
46 min: Alexandre Lacazette gets us back under way.
Half-time: Arsenal 1-0 Manchester United
Granit Xhaka’s swerving strike is the difference at the interval, and the Arsenal midfielder has been a ubiquitous presence; he had 43 first-half touches, more than any other player. And it was Xhaka that denied Rashford at the death moments before the break following a slick United move. United have struck the woodwork twice, through Lukaku and Fred, but Arsenal deservedly lead. The goal itself was a little bizarre, with Xhaka’s effort from 20 yards eluding David de Gea. As Aumogh Sengupta says on email, it looks like Ole’s wheel requires some oiling.
45 min: There will be at least two added minutes. Rashford and Xhaka are both up and moving after colliding in the box.
43 min: United go through the gears, switching from defence to attack but, just as Marcus Rashford looks to pull the trigger, Granit Xhaka slides in to intervene. Pogba played a wondrous crossfield ball into Lukaku, who fed Dalot to cut it back for Rashford. But Xhaka does brilliantly, though hurts himself in the process. Arsenal are incensed as Jon Moss blows up, halting the counterattack.
41 min: Aubameyang heads clear Young’s corner before Ramsey does brilliantly to nick the ball away from the United captain as he tried to recycle possession. Ramsey proceeds to penetrate down the United right before coming unstuck. United had an extra day to prepare, but Arsenal have displayed bundles of energy.