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Friday night's FA Cup fourth-round clash between Arsenal and Manchester United saw Manchester United progress to the next round with a 3-1 win over Arsenal.
The game took some time to open up as both sides played cautiously during the opening exchanges, but it was United who took the lead just after the half-hour mark through former Arsenal man, Alexis Sanchez. United doubled their lead after two minutes when Jese Lingard beat Petr Cech from close range. Arsenal pulled a goal back through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the 43rd minute.
The Gunners had a glorious chance to equalize through Aaron Ramsey in the early minutes of the second half, whose header was well saved by Sergio Romero. Arsenal's search for the equalizer proved to be futile as Manchester United defended valiantly and secured the win in the 82nd minute through Anthony Martial.
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On that note, let us take a look at the hits and flops from the FA Cup tie at the Emirates Stadium.
#1 Hit: Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku had a tough start to the 2018/19 campaign and was benched after disappointing performances. However, Friday night's clash against Arsenal was a confidence booster for the Belgian who turned provider on two occasions in a Man of the Match performance.
Lukaku put his physicality to great use and constantly drew the Arsenal defenders out of position. On many occasions, Laurent Koscielny had to mark him high up the pitch which resulted in large gaps being left behind. He troubled Arsenal's rearguard by making some perfectly timed runs behind the back four.
Taking advantage of a disorganized Arsenal defence, Lukaku threaded in a delightful through ball for Alexis in the build-up to United's first goal. The Belgian turned provider yet again as Lingard scored from close range in the 33rd minute.
#2 Flop: Laurent Koscielny
After a solid outing against Chelsea, Laurent Koscielny flattered to deceive in Arsenal's fourth-round tie against Manchester United at the Emirates.
The Frenchman looked shaky while coming up against the likes of United's attacking players and struggled to cope against the physicality and movement of Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian's constant presence saw Koscielny being drawn out of position on numerous occasions, which left huge gaps at the back, an area which was exploited by United in the first half.
He was at fault in the build-up to United's second goal as he played Lukaku onside, after being drawn out of position again. Koscielny's night went from bad to worse as he was taken off in the 64th minute after suffering an injury while vying for the ball with Romelu Lukaku.
Another drawback with Koscielny on the night was his lack of communication with the likes of Mustafi, Kolasinac, Torreira and Xhaka, which resulted in Arsenal lacking in organisation. This was duly punished by a rampant Manchester United side, who made it eight wins out of eight matches under Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.
#3 Hit: Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey was Arsenal's best performer against Manchester United in the fourth round of the 2019 FA Cup. With yesterday's performance, Ramsey highlighted what Arsenal would be missing when the Welshman leaves the club on a bossman in the summer transfer window.
The Welsh International operated in the number ten position, acting as a creative outlet for the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette. His link up play with Arsenal's strikers caused United a fair share of problems in certain parts of the game.
Ramsey played an integral part in the build up to Arsenal's only goal of the night. He dribbled his way past Ashley Young and his ball got a telling touch from Lacazette before being placed in the back of an empty net by Aubameyang. The Welshman had a glorious chance to bring his side to level terms, a few minutes after the restart, as he saw his header smartly tipped over the bar by Sergio Romero.
Arsenal's playmaker on the night would be slightly dejected as he could have brought his side on level terms in the second half and as a result, maybe altered the games result. Overall, Ramsey was the best performer on the night for the Gunners.
#4 Flop: Alex Iwobi
Alex Iwobi is a player who has had mixed reviews from the Arsenal faithful. On certain days, Iwobi exhibits flashes of brilliance and on a few occassions draws blanks. His performance against Manchester United was far from impressive.
The Nigerian started the game in positive fashion and looked to trouble Ashley Young on a few instances with his intricate footwork. What lacked most in Iwobi's performance against United were application and awareness.
Iwobi often over-complicated things and went for the jugular in moments where executing the simpler task would have been a better option. He could also be blamed for cutting inside and slowing down the game's pace, instead of noticing the overlapping runs made by Saed Kolasinac.
Towards the end of the game, Iwobi looked jaded and did not contribute much in helping his team get the equaliser. He was hauled off in the 63rd minute for Mesut Ozil. Iwobi must show more consistency in his performances if he intends to stake his claim for a place in the starting line up.
#5 Hit: Luke Shaw
Manchester United's left back, Luke Shaw has improved leaps and bounds this season. He further highlighted his quality in an impressive display against Arsenal.
Shaw put in a great shift at Left Back and performed his duties to the best of his ability. The former Southampton defender was equally proficient in attack and defence, while making a number of telling interceptions and tackles, which broke up Arsenal's play down the right wing.
While going forward, Shaw linked up well with Alexis Sanchez and put in a number of teasing crosses for Lukaku to attack. He did not ignore his defensive duties and prevented Maitland-Niles from making dangerous overlapping runs. The left back also committed some smart fouls in order to stifle Arsenal’s forwards.
Shaw ended the game with a pass accuracy rate of 75%, won five duels, recovered possession on three occasions, made four interceptions and accurately completed 3/3 long balls, which highlight his attacking prowess.
