LONDON — Arsenal stepped up their pursuit of Premier League leaders Liverpool by sealing a 2-0 win towards Manchester United on the Emirates on Wednesday, as soon as once more highlighting their peerless skill to attain from set items.
Second-half targets from Jurriën Timber and William Saliba, each from corners, clinched a snug win for the Gunners that left United coach Ruben Amorim along with his first defeat since taking cost at Previous Trafford final month.
With Liverpool dropping two factors after being held to a dramatic 3-3 draw towards Newcastle at St. James’ Park, Arsenal decreased the hole between themselves and Arne Slot’s staff to seven factors with the win towards United.
First defeat for Amorim, however Man United present progress
Amorim warned {that a} “storm will come” forward of Manchester United’s go to to Arsenal. The brand new United coach arrived on the Emirates unbeaten in three video games since arriving on the membership final month, however the defeat towards Arsenal ended that unblemished begin.
Amorim stated he anticipated United to endure a troublesome interval and that may now come contemplating a run of video games that sees his aspect play Manchester Metropolis, Tottenham and Newcastle earlier than the top of the month. However, whereas United have been well-beaten in the long run by the Gunners, there was sufficient proven by the gamers to counsel that Amorim’s affect is starting to have an impact.
For a begin, United performed with objective for a lot of this sport and had a transparent plan of what was anticipated of them. Amorim and his coaches have clearly drilled the gamers on the coaching floor and the again three appears convincing. In midfield, captain Bruno Fernandes appears like he may very well be an answer in a deeper-lying function. Mason Mount introduced vitality and tactical consciousness to his place additional ahead and Leny Yoro’s look as a second-half substitute was the French teenager’s first aggressive sport since his summer season arrival from Lille following a prolonged foot harm layoff.
The way of United’s defeat — two targets conceded from two corners — and the best way his staff ran out of steam late within the sport will likely be a priority, nonetheless. Amorim has already cited the necessity to enhance the squad’s bodily situation and that could be a job that’s nonetheless to be achieved. However there are indicators of progress. Amorim is giving all his gamers an opportunity to make or break their United careers and he’s seeing them win and now lose, which is able to assist him study extra about their capabilities.
By the point United return to the Emirates for an FA Cup third spherical tie in January, count on them to be higher nonetheless and extra more likely to emerge with a optimistic consequence. — Mark Ogden
Arsenal reduce into Liverpool’s lead
Gunners supervisor Mikel Arteta final week warned Liverpool {that a} huge lead on the prime of the desk isn’t any assure of something, suggesting that “all of a sudden whenever you assume you’ve gotten it, at some point it collapses.”
A 3-3 draw at Newcastle doesn’t represent a collapse by Liverpool, nevertheless it did current a possibility for the chasing pack to chip away at their nine-point lead. Chelsea and Manchester Metropolis did so within the barely earlier kickoffs with wins towards Southampton and Nottingham Forest respectively, ramping up the strain on the Gunners to comply with go well with.
They have been simply wrapping up these victories across the time Timber opened the scoring at Emirates Stadium on 54 minutes, settling palpable nerves within the stands after a primary half by which United did a very good job of stifling their opponents.
Arsenal held their nerve regardless of a gap 45 minutes by which they by no means actually obtained going, and Arteta will likely be happy with the maturity his staff confirmed in sustaining their composure and discovering the breakthrough. From the second they took the lead, United by no means significantly threatened apart from Matthijs de Ligt’s 67th-minute header and, after Saliba’s objective six minutes later, the Gunners have been left to shut a comparatively comfy win, which is able to gasoline their self-belief that Liverpool will be caught.
A winnable run of league video games till the New Yr awaits: Fulham away, Everton at dwelling, Crystal Palace away and Ipswich at dwelling. Most factors would put Liverpool beneath additional strain. — James Olley
Amorim provides Man United vitality from the touchline
The brand new Manchester United head coach is a bundle of vitality on the touchline, and his ardour and drive is rubbing off on his new staff.
Erik ten Hag’s successor was continually teaching, cajoling and berating his gamers from the technical space, with left-back Tyrell Malacia just about given a private one-on-one teaching session as he tried to take care of Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka throughout the first half.
Amorim was organising his gamers, telling them to be extra compact as a defensive unit and in addition urging them to hit Arsenal faster on the break. His frustration, too, was evident each time an attacking transfer broke down as a result of his forwards — often Alejandro Garnacho — reduce and did not be extra direct.
There are shades of Jürgen Klopp in Amorim’s actions on the touchline, though he has but to be fairly as essential of the officers as the previous Liverpool supervisor. However in comparison with Ten Hag, who typically stood immobile on the touchline along with his palms in his pockets, Amorim is a a lot livelier character, and his gamers feed off it as a result of they know they need to step it as much as impress their new boss. — Ogden
No Gabriel, no downside from set items for Arsenal
When Thomas Partey made an embarrassing hash of a close-range near-post header within the eighth minute, it was tempting to invest how a lot Arsenal would miss their greatest risk from set items.
They scored 32 Premier League targets from dead-ball conditions final season — a league excessive — and from corners, the determine is even starker. No Premier League staff has scored extra targets from corners because the begin of final season than Arsenal’s 22 and prior to now three years, no defender has netted greater than Gabriel’s 15.
As a reminder of the Brazilian’s enduring risk, he scored in Arsenal’s earlier two matches earlier than lacking out right here with a thigh harm — towards Sporting CP within the Champions League final week after which the opening objective in Saturday’s 5-2 thrashing of West Ham. Instrumental in that nook routine on the London Stadium was Timber, whose light near-post nudge on Lucas Paquetá enabled Gabriel to satisfy Bukayo Saka’s supply.
This time, Timber obtained the telling contact himself from Declan Rice’s nook to attain his first objective for the Gunners. They have been at it once more within the 73rd minute. Saka’s supply to the far publish discovered Partey unmarked, and this time his header again throughout objective hit Saliba and flew in.
Arteta celebrated each targets with Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover — it’s a acquainted sight today, and Arsenal’s unparalleled efficiency from dead-ball conditions determined one other contest of their favour. — Olley
