Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal: Player ratings

Manchester United player ratings

Mourinho's ploy of bringing in Fellaini struck gold in stoppage time

David de Gea: 6/10

He had to make some routine saves in the game and did not do anything special in the match. The Spaniard did not have any chance with Mkhitaryan's goal.

Antonio Valencia: 7/10

The right-back was sturdy and strong in defence, but lacked precision and variation in his crosses going forward.

Chris Smalling: 6.5/10

One of United's biggest chances to score fell to the centre-back, but he could not move fast enough to make contact with the ball in front of the Arsenal goal.

Victor Lindelof: 8/10

It was a good day in the office for the defender. He saw off most of the attacking efforts from Arsenal and seemed to grow in confidence as the game progressed.

Ashley Young: 9/10

He was the pick of the United defence line on the day with his usual strong presence at the left-flank. He hit the post from a tight angle in the second half, and provided the assist for the winner with a pinpoint cross to Fellaini in stoppage time.

Ander Herrera: 6.5/10

He was dependable in the middle until losing focus before the Mkhitaryan goal. Tried to attack more, but could not create or impact anything significant going forward.

Nemanja Matic: 8.5/10

He dominated the Arsenal midfield and the gulf in class was there for all to see. He controlled the game pretty well.

Paul Pogba: 7.5/10

The was excellent in patches throughout the game and scored the opening goal of the night with a combination of instinct and execution. He was the United player who shone the brightest in the first 30 minutes of the game, but his impact sort of reduced after that.

Jesse Lingard: 7/10

The winger has had some excellent performances under his belt this season. His effort against Arsenal, when compared to them, wasn't up to the standards he has set, though. Mourinho substituted him later in the game.

Romelu Lukaku: 5/10

Just like the striker on the other side of the field, Lukaku remained ineffective on the night in terms of posing a threat in front of the goal, and was neutralised by the young Arsenal centre-backs. He played his part in the first goal, though. Was taken off for Marcus Rashford after following an injury.

Alexis Sanchez: 6/10

The former Arsenal player was tantalisingly close to scoring against them on the day, but his header from the left post was blocked by Hector Bellerin in the 15th minute of the game. The Chilean was his intense and passionate self through the game and tried to create chances throughout, but found himself too wide on occasions and gave the ball away on a couple of occasions.

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Substitutes

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial: 7/10

Their inclusion into the fray turned things around for United, who were not being able to create substantial chances until then. Both the youngsters stepped up and added pace as well as dynamism to the proceedings. Martial, in particular, was a treat to watch through his limited presence on the field.

Marouane Fellaini: 7/10

Mourinho's ploy of bringing in Fellaini and feeding long balls to him worked in the dying minutes of the game. His big and bulging presence proved enough for United to clinch all the three points in the encounter and to confirm a Top 4 finish this season.