Arsenal haven’t shown the wit to break them down. United have done a fair bit of fouling and only won one yellow card as a result (plus one for dissent), but perhaps the referee might put a stop to this in the second half and make their lives more difficult. United had both of the shots on target in the first half, but they were from distance and gave Raya two easy saves – the game has been essentially chanceless, but for the offside goal.Arsenal player remind the referee about it. United move into an 11-3 lead on fouls conceded.Arsenal corner, which means two minutes of preparations and a further delay while the referee makes sure people aren’t misbehaving in the penalty area, but again United deal with it.Arsenal keep the ball for ages but can’t find a way through, over, under or past the United defence, so they play it back to Raya – and he can, with a long ball that picks out Martinelli running into space, but he’s caught up with and the ball is cleared before he can bring it under control.Arsenal corner.Arsenal are absolutely rubbish on the counter-attack. They get the chance to break and Odegaard releases Jesus on the right, but as he looks up there’s only Havertz in the middle, no other white shirts anywhere remotely useful, and a ninth defender is just dropping into position.Arsenal have a goal disallowed! Martinelli is miles offside when the ball is played through to him, but it deflects off Maguire and Arsenal have a go at arguing that made it a new phase but the officials are having none of it and VAR is having the weekend off.
Arsenal free-kick, again on the left flank but from a deeper position this time. No offside trap on this occasion, but Gabriel’s header sails wide.Arsenal win a free-kick, from which United catch almost their entire team offside. “How are Arsenal allowed to play in shirts with no readable numbers on their backs?” demands Louise. Their shirts are spectactularly unhelpful, it must be said. They do have numbers on their backs, but only their outlines and on my screen at least they are only visible in close-up.Arsenal are absolutely hogging possession, but United seem to know what they’re doing in defence, starting with putting loads of people in it.Arsenal trying and failing to navigate a way through a strong United press.the club say. “The white shirts will never be sold commercially, and instead are awarded to volunteers who give their time and skills to our charitable partners.”Arsenal on Wednesday’s derby against Tottenham, the third of five successive home games in all competitions. United have an extra day to prepare for the visit of Southampton.Manchester United. We have a lot of games, and it is going to be an interesting week. Bearing this in mind, we believe this is the best squad to start.”Arsenal make three changes, with Gabriel Jesus, Mikel Merino and Jorginho coming in and Leandro Trossard, Declan Rice and Thomas Partey stepping out.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Jorginho, Merino, Odegaard, Jesus, Martinelli, Havertz. Subs: Neto, Tierney, Partey, Kiwior, Zinchenko, Trossard, Sterling, Butler-Oyedeji, Rice.
Manchester United: Bayindir, De Ligt, Maguire, Martinez, Mazroui, Mainoo, Ugarte, Dalot, Fernandes, Garnacho, Hojlund. Subs: Onana, Zirkzee, Malacia, Eriksen, Yoro, Amad, Casemiro, Antony, Collyer.
Referee: Andrew Madley.
Manchester United, 20 times league champions, played (and, as you may remember, dramatically drew with) the team at No2 in the all-time-title list, Liverpool with 19. This week United, 13 times FA Cup champions, play the team at No1 in this all-time-title list, Arsenal with 14. They do so wanting to top up their players’ dwindling reserves of winningfeeling. “The feeling of winning, that feeling gives you so much confidence. If you win one thing you will believe you can win more,” Ruben Amorim said on Friday. “That feeling is addictive; you feel it and it’s really easy to follow that to try to win it again. I think it is important for the confidence of the players.”
Arsenal haven’t experienced winningfeeling since 2020, the last time they lifted this or indeed any trophy, and the only member of the current squad who played that day is Kieran Tierney. “I don’t expect to get credit [for that win],” Mikel Arteta said this week. “I expect to get judged on what we do on the day. And what has happened in the past, in the future, it is not relevant.”
That makes today (and, sure, every other day) judgement day. The gavel is ready to fall. Let’s have at it.
Source: theguardian.com
