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Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday to leapfrog their arch-rivals in the Premier League table. An Alexis Sanchez brace and a Mesut Ozil goal gave Wenger's side a 3-0 lead in a 20-minute blitzkrieg in the first half to which United had no answer.
Though United had come into this game in better form after a dismal Champions League midweek for the Gunners, it was Arsene Wenger's side that swept aside Louis van Gaal's team to claim all three points to get their first win over the Red Devils at home since 2011.
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Squads
Arsenal: Petr Cech, Hector Bellerin, Per Mertesacker (C), Gabriel Paulista, Nacho Monreal, Francis Coquelin, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott
Manchester United: David De Gea, Ashley Young, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind, Matteo Darmian, Michael Carrick, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney (C), Memphis Depay, Anthony Martial
First Half: Arsenal take a 3-goal lead within 20 minutes
With Antonio Valencia dropped to the bench, Louis van Gaal started Matteo Darmian in the right-back position while Ashley Young played at left-back. And Theo Walcott tested him in the very first minute and the English forward was fouled outside the box on the flank. While the free-kick was cleared, Arsenal won back-to-back corners within a minute which United were able to deal with without a shot on target.
Arsenal drew first blood when Alexis Sanchez made a run towards goal and scored with a beautiful flick at the near post from a Mesut Ozil cross. It was a beautifully orchestrated move that saw a number of passes between the Gunners with the Chilean scoring his fourth goal of the season.
74 seconds later, Arsenal doubled the lead after winning the ball back when Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott combined on the counter to give the German playmaker a shot on goal from inside the box. Ozil’s low shot into the bottom corner beat a wrong-footed De Gea and the Gunners were off to a flying start with the crowd getting right behind them.
Alexis Sanchez then tripled the lead when he received the ball outside the box, side-stepped Darmian and then took a shot from the edge of the box with Chris Smalling only looking on and De Gea unable to stop the shot go into the top corner. 3-0 to Arsenal in the 20th minute. This was the first time since November 2001 where Arsenal had scored 3 goals against the Red Devils (courtesy @OptaJoe).
United tried to make inroads into the final third but were thwarted time and again by a resolute Arsenal defence supported by the midfield of Coquelin, Cazorla and Ramsey. The Manchester side then found themselves in trouble when both their full-backs – Young and Darmian – were booked for fouls on Ramsey and Walcott respectively.
Martial then tried to sneak in behind Mertesacker while the German controlled the ball in the box, but he was only able to force a corner which United failed to capitalize on. Soon after, at the other end, Ramsey skied an opportunity to make it 4-0 in the 34th minute when Alexis found the Welshman in the box.
Arsenal’s midfield and forward line continued to create chances as Ozil and Cazorla dominated the midfield while Alexis and Walcott put pressure on the defence by constantly making runs down either flank or through the middle. Wenger’s philosophy of quick ball movement and one-touch passing reigned supreme but the Gunners were still squandering some good opportunities to increase their lead.
Cech then made a crucial save in the final minute of the half when Martial turned his marker at the penalty spot and took a shot on goal. The Gunners weren’t in the clear yet as Rooney nicked the ball and crossed it into the box but there was no player in a black shirt to put it away.
Half time: Arsenal 3-0 Manchester United
Second Half: Manchester United fail to make possession count
Louis van Gaal made two half-time substitutions before the restart. Fearing another yellow card and a sending off against the pace of Alexis and Walcott, Valencia came on for Darmian while Depay was replaced by Marouane Fellaini.
Young took the first shot on goal in the second half after he cut in from the left and let fly a shot from range, but Cech had it covered and made a comfortable save to his right. Coquelin then went into the book when he fouled Rooney in the 51st minute. But the England captain was soon booked by the referee 10 minutes into the second half when he tried to prevent Ozil from launching a counter-attack and fouled him in the process.
United were clearly trying to use Fellaini’s height and physicality to their advantage with of crosses and corner kicks targeting him in the box. Rooney also tested Cech with a fine effort on the half-volley from just outside the box, but the Czech international was able to parry it away for a corner. And whenever Arsenal defended well and won the ball back, United resorted to fouling the players to prevent counter attacks (United had 17 fouls to Arsenal’s 8 in the game).
The Red Devils’ best chance then came in the 68th minute when Rooney allowed a pass to roll towards Schweinsteiger in the box. But the German bottled his chance and an onrushing Cech was there to ensure there was no shot on goal. Four minutes later, Mata tried to curl one into the top corner from outside the box with a first-time shot but the attempt was off target as the ball went just wide and over.
Ozil then had a chance to score his second from a similar position from a Monreal cross, but his shot was low and straight at De Gea who held on without a fuss. That would be the German’s last contribution as Wenger made two changes in the 75th minute with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replacing him while Theo Walcott made way for Olivier Giroud.
Although the Gunners were leading 3-0, they still refused to back down and continued to press United up the pitch. In fact, their high pressing yielded results with even De Gea frantically looking for passing options and even sending the ball out when he tried to clear the immediate danger.
Alexis Sanchez then signaled the bench in the 81st minute and Wenger substituted the Chilean for full-back Kieran Gibbs as they looked to shut shop in the final stages of the game. Meanwhile, Van Gaal hooked an ineffective Mata off for James Wilson as United looked for a goal.
Giroud wasted a superb opportunity to score when Oxlade-Chamberlain provided a cross in the 86th minute. The Frenchman had enough time and space to take a shot but it went straight down the middle towards De Gea who made yet another save. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain had the last attempt of the match when his chip came off the crossbar in stoppage time.
That was the last piece of action as the referee blew the full-time whistle to give Arsenal a famous victory.
Watch the highlights of the game here:
