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Arsenal secured a huge morale-boosting 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday, 23 April. The result saw them rise to fourth place temporarily in the standings.
The game began with high-tempo play from both sides but it was Arsenal who opened the scoring in just the third minute. Bukayo Saka attempted a shot which David De Gea saved but the rebound fell to Nuno Tavares, who duly tapped in to put the Gunners 1-0 up.
Manchester United's backline looked shaky as the game progressed. They failed to clear the ball out of dangerous areas on multiple occasions. Eddie Nketiah appeared to have put the Gunners 2-0 up, but play was pulled back for offside.
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However, after further review, a penalty was awarded when it was noted that Alex Telles had fouled Saka in the build-up. The Englishman stepped up and scored his second penalty in as many games against a top side to make it 2-0.
Diogo Dalot then saw a well-taken effort smash the crossbar as Manchester United tried to claw their way back into the game. The visitors kept pushing forward with Anthony Elanga and Jadon Sancho and were eventually rewarded.
Arsenal's defenders seemed to switch off for a moment and Cristiano Ronaldo capitalize on it. The Portuguese talisman finished exquisitely on the half-volley from Nemanja Matic's cross into the box to make it 2-1 in the 34th minute.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United played lively and exciting football as the first period came to an end. The sides went into the break with the hosts holding a narrow 2-1 lead.
The second half began with neither side looking as free-flowing as they did in the first half, approaching the game with caution. But as the match progressed, both put together some quality moves.
Manchester United started looking like the stronger side as they slowly started to gain momentum in the match. Ronaldo appeared to have scored again but play was pulled back for offside. Dalot continued venturing forward and was extremely unlucky as he hit the woodwork for the second time in the game following an excellent save from Aaron Ramsdale in the 63rd minute.
The pressure did pay off when Tavares handled in the box to give the Red Devils a penalty. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take it but his spot-kick went out off the post for a goal-kick as the Gunners received a massive reprieve.
As the clock ticked on, the game moved closer to Arsenal's penalty area as Manchester United continued to pile on the pressure. They failed to keep a check on discipline, however, and saw several players booked for rash challenges.
However, in typical Arsenal fashion, Mikel Arteta's side put the game to bed. Granit Xhaka scored from a piledriver of a shot in the 70th minute from a Mohamed Elneny assist.
From that point on, Manchester United struggled to string together moves to threaten Arsenal's goal. Despite bringing on Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford late on, Ralf Rangnick's side failed to penetrate the Gunners' defense.
Arsenal held on to secure a massive 3-1 win and temporarily leapfrog arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur into fourth place with 63 points. United, on the other hand, are now six points behind the Gunners, having played one game more.
That said, let's take a look at the player ratings from the early kick-off of the gameweek.
Arsenal Player Ratings
Aaron Ramsdale - 7/10
Ramsdale started nervously, giving the ball away on one occasion early in the game. He was lucky not to concede from the penalty that United were awarded and made four important saves throughout the game.
Cedric Soares - 6/10
Soares was the most chaotic player on the pitch and often found himself in crucial situations on either side of the pitch. He did well on most occasions, but also made a few errors and was lucky not to have a penalty awarded against him for handball.
Ben White - 6/10
White had a decent game at the heart of Arsenal's defense. He won two of his three ground duels and played four accurate long balls in seven attempts.
Gabriel Magalhaes - 6.5/10
Gabriel could have done better as he let Ronaldo slip past him way too easily to score in the 34th minute. He blocked two shots, made three clearances and won five of his seven duels.
Nuno Tavares - 6/10
He did extremely well to arrive at the back post to tap-in Arsenal's opener in the third minute. However, he gave the ball away way too many times, which could have cost Arsenal the game on another day, and also conceded a penalty.
Mohamed Elneny - 7/10
Elneny added the stability that has been missing in Arsenal's midfield ever since they lost Thomas Partey to injury. He anchored the Gunners in the middle of the park and also provided the assist for Xhaka's goal in a thorough performance.
Granit Xhaka - 7/10
Xhaka started the game well and helped his side win key midfield battles. He scored a trademark piledriver in the 71st minute to create a separation between Arsenal and United at 3-1. He played two accurate crosses and three accurate long balls and constantly broke play up to keep the visitors in check.
Bukayo Saka - 7.5/10
Saka started the game in lively fashion and took the shot which led to Arsenal's first goal. He then stepped up to take his second penalty in as many games and sent de Gea the wrong way to put his side 2-0 up in the first half. Saka also won five of his seven ground duels before exiting the game due to an injury.
Martin Odegaard - 7/10
Odegaard was at his creative best, combining well with Saka and Soares on the right wing for Arsenal. He passed the ball with 92% accuracy and played one accurate cross and one accurate long ball.
Emile Smith Rowe - 6/10
Smith Rowe popped up in good attacking areas but was a bit weak with his ball retention. He was replaced by Gabriel Martinelli soon after the hour-mark.
Eddie Nketiah - 6.5/10
Nketiah seemed to be the spark Arsenal were missing up front. His energetic pressing and runs into the channels helped unlock the Gunners' attack.
Substitutes
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
The Brazilian had a decent outing as he helped his side see out the result.
Rob Holding - 6.5/10
He was brought on to help Arsenal secure the result and put in a decent shift to ensure the same.
Takehiro Tomiyasu - N/A
The Japanese full-back returned from injury as a late-game substitute but played just four minutes.
Manchester United Player Ratings
David de Gea - 6/10
De Gea was at his sharpest, making saves from close-range on multiple occasions. He was unlucky to concede two goals. Like his counterpart, the Spaniard ended up with four saves as well but was let down by his defenders.
Diogo Dalot - 7/10
He started slowly, but attempted a thunderous effort that hit the crossbar in the 24th minute. Dalot hit the woodwork once more with a driven near-post shot in the 63rd minute. The Manchester United right-back won five of his six ground duels and made three successful tackles.
Victor Lindelof - 6/10
He looked like Manchester United's best defender throughout the game. Lindelof was booked for a rash tackle midway through the second half.
Raphael Varane - 5.5/10
Varane could have done better to clear the ball leading up to the goal Manchester United conceded early on. The Frenchman looked off-color and seemed to struggle with the pace of the game at times on his return from injury.
Alex Telles - 6/10
Telles could have done better in the build-up to the Gunners' opener. However, he was lively venturing forward and struck a venomous shot late in the first half which forced a save from Ramsdale.
Nemanja Matic - 6.5/10
He struggled against Arsenal's pacey frontline and robust midfield. However, the Serb did well to provide a lovely assist for his side's goal with a clipped cross into the box.
Scott McTominay - 6/10
McTominay's return from injury helped Manchester United solidify their midfield and win a few more key battles in central areas. He won six of his nine duels and made one important clearance.
Anthony Elanga - 6/10
Elanga looked to capitalize on his pace and made some darting runs in behind the Gunners' backline. However, the youngster failed to provide any end product, forcing one straightforward save from Ramsdale on the counter.
Bruno Fernandes - 4.5/10
Fernandes showed glimpses of the brilliance he is renowned for. He passed the ball smartly and created multiple chances for his side. The Portuguese was granted an opportunity at retribution but spurned the chance with a tame penalty that hit the outside of the post and rolled wide.
He was also lucky to stay on the field after a late tackle on Tavares. So often his club's talisman over the last two years, this was arguably one of Fernandes' worst performances since joining Manchester United.
Jadon Sancho - 6/10
Sancho had a lively run at Soares and White, causing the Gunners problems down their right side. He had three successful dribbles and won six of his 12 duels, but failed to provide a decisive output.
Cristiano Ronaldo - 7/10
Ronaldo was lively in the box and did very well to score in the 34th minute with some swift and smart movement. He seemed to be Manchester United's only real threat in and around the box. By finding the back of the net, he also scored his 100th goal in the Premier League.
Substitutes
Jesse Lingard, Marcus Rashford & Juan Mata - N/A
All three substitutes were brought on late in the game and did not contribute enough to warrant a rating.
