“Putting this team on his back”, “love to see it” – Arsenal fans salute ‘underrated soldier’ for display in 3-1 win over Manchester United

Arsenal fans were extremely pleased with Granit Xhaka's performance against Manchester United in their Premier League clash on Saturday. The former club captain had a well-rounded performance, helping the Gunners secure the midfield and adding his name to the scoresheet.

Xhaka has had a difficult relationship with Arsenal fans. He threw his shirt with the captain's armband on the ground and stormed off the pitch back in 2019 against Crystal Palace. Since then, the club's fans have been on the back of the Swiss midfielder.

In a recent blog post, the midfielder made it clear that a friendship with the Arsenal fanbase was out of the question. However, his recent game against Manchester United will have certainly helped sweeten the sour relationship, as fans applauded the star's goal. He scored the third goal in a crucial 3-1 victory for the Gunners at the Emirates via a stunning striker.

Here is a selection of tweets from Arsenal fans who expressed their pleasure at Xhaka's performance:

The Gunners now face a key battle to consolidate their position in the Champions League spot. They could also have the opportunity to potentially overtake Chelsea and sit in third place this season.

Arsenal are fourth in the league, three points above Tottenham Hotspur who play against Brentford on Saturday. The Gunners are just two points below Chelsea, who have two games in hand.

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Arsenal 3-1 Manchester United: Match Recap

Mikel Arteta’s side cruised to a 3-1 win over a beleaguered United outfit at the Emirates. In a match with heavy implications on the final position of both sides at the end of the campaign, the Gunners came out on top. They now sit six points clear of sixth-placed United, who have played one more game than them.

The hosts started the game brilliantly, with full-back Nuno Tavares putting them ahead after just three minutes, a sign of things to come. The Gunners then thought they had doubled their lead through Eddie Nketiah in the 27th minute. However, the VAR ruled it out due to offside.

However, due to a foul in the build up to Nketiah’s effort, VAR awarded them a penalty. Bukayo Saka dispatched it in the 32nd minute to double the Gunners' lead. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo got one back for the Red Devils to half the deficit two minutes later.

Bruno Fernandes squandered the chance to draw United level in the second half after missing from the penalty spot. Ronaldo scored again in the 60th minute, but his effort was ruled out as offside to keep Manchester United trailing.

Xhaka then made the win absolutely certain for the Gunners with his wonder strike.