Arsenal moved inside seven factors of leaders Liverpool as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored from corners to inflict Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United boss.
Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Newcastle gave Arsenal the possibility to shut the hole and, after a irritating first half towards Amorim’s well-drilled aspect, their set-piece prowess proved decisive.
Within the absence of the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, it was Timber who made the breakthrough after half-time when he flicked dwelling a depraved Declan Rice supply on the close to submit for his first Arsenal purpose.
Saliba doubled their lead when Saka directed a supply from the other aspect in direction of the again submit, the place Thomas Partey headed the ball throughout purpose and it bounced in off his team-mate’s bottom.
Saliba’s second took Arsenal’s tally of set-piece objectives to seven this season, the very best within the Premier League, and so they might have had extra, with a succession of deliveries inflicting chaos within the Manchester United field and Mikel Merino heading narrowly vast when unmarked from one other Saka centre.
Arsenal had been indebted to David Raya for an excellent, one-handed save from Matthijs de Ligt’s header earlier than Saliba’s purpose. The goalkeeper later made a pointy cease from substitute Antony following a intelligent Manchester United set-piece routine to keep away from a nervy finale for the hosts.
However the hosts had been deserving winners, with Amorim’s aspect unable to resist their second-half stress regardless of a disciplined first-half exhibiting, making certain Arsenal had been capable of capitalise on Liverpool’s dropped factors at St James’ Park to spice up their title hopes.
Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Southampton means Arsenal really drop under the Blues on purpose distinction, into third, however the hole to the highest is decreased. The defeat leaves Manchester United eleventh.
Arteta: We are able to damage groups from all angles
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in his press convention:
“Very happy. It was a very special night, celebrating 500 games in this incredible stadium against an opponent with so much history between the two teams.
“Very proud of the way in which we performed, after tweaking just a few issues for the second half, and the way dominant we had been, so quite a lot of positives.”
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Manchester United’s Tyrell Malacia battle for the ball
On Arsenal’s set-piece menace: “We need that. We want to be very dangerous and effective from every angle and every phase of play.
“We might have scored from open play, like we did towards West Ham and Sporting. The group has perception. We’ve the capability to menace the opponent from each angle.”
Rice: People wrote us off but we stuck together
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to Amazon Prime:
“It is a large end result. What an evening. We knew there’s a new supervisor at Manchester United and so they’ve appeared actually good.
“We knew it would be a test, we stuck to our game plan, stuck to what we knew and in the end we could have had three or four.
“You must consider in your course of. We consider in our course of. We stored at it. Once you go up for a nook it is an opportunity to attain a purpose, not an opportunity to loosen up, and we have scored once more. We’re buzzing, I am so pleased for the boys.
“When you have a blip in the league you get written off. We stuck together as a group. We knew the run of results wasn’t good enough. We got together as a group, we knew we could do better and now we’re seeing a turn in that.”
Amorim: Set items had been the distinction
Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim in his press convention:
“We have worked a lot on building up. You can see the structure and the idea. But then in the last part, in the final third, you can see we need to improve, be more aggressive and have more ideas.
“I make the analysis of the sport whatever the end result. Like I stated with the 4-0 towards Everton, you may take optimistic issues however it’s important to enhance.
“In the first half, especially the end of the first half, you could feel they were not comfortable. You could feel it in the stadium.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber runs with the ball towards Manchester United
“We managed to control the right side very well. I think the difference today was the set pieces. You see after the first goal, the momentum changed and it was really hard for us to take full control of the game. We tried but it was the set-pieces.”
On his group choice: “It’s not because I like to change all the time. We have to have all the squad fit. Harry Maguire has a time limit. Tyrell Malacia has a time limit. Mason Mount has a time limit. Leny Yoro has a time limit.
“We’ve to handle profitable video games, with completely different methodology, extra meters to press, and tomorrow we’ll assess them. The blokes who’ve a threat of damage is not going to play.”
Analysis: Arsenal’s corners have become a form of psychological warfare
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
Even in the first half, before Timber’s opener, the home supporters inside the Emirates Stadium could be heard celebrating corners as though they were goals. Arsenal’s opponents know what is coming. Stopping it is another matter.
Arsenal’s total of 22 goals from corners since the start of last season is the most by any Premier League side. Manchester United had not conceded from two in one game in a decade and yet they were fortunate, as the deliveries rained in, that it was only two.
Timber’s goal came during a series of near-post deliveries that caused utter chaos in the Manchester United box, as Arsenal repeated the method that did for West Ham on Saturday, with players congregating at the far post and charging across goal.
Saliba doubles Arsenal’s lead from Thomas Partey’s back-post header
Then, when Amorim’s beleaguered gamers had been anticipating Saka to comply with Rice’s instance and direct his supply to the identical spot, he as a substitute outfoxed Manchester United by looping one to the far submit, the place Partey was ready to move throughout purpose for Saliba to attain.
It’s a testomony to the standard of the routines devised by their specialist coach Nicolas Jover, and the deliveries despatched in by Saka and Rice, that Arsenal had been capable of inflict this a lot harm with out their most harmful set-piece weapon in Gabriel.
As Arteta said in his pre-match press convention, their set-pieces are a collective effort. It’s one thing Amorim understands. The Manchester United boss even claimed afterwards that Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are pleased to power corners, figuring out the harm they will do.
They’ve grow to be a type of psychological warfare, the strain enhanced by rigorously orchestrated delays over taking them. Manchester United had been their newest sufferer. There might be extra.
Arsenal’s lethal corners
- Arsenal have scored extra objectives from corners (22) than every other group within the Premier League because the begin of final season. Ten of them have opened the scoring in matches, which can be a league-high on this interval.
- Manchester United conceded two objectives from corners in a Premier League match for the primary time since January 2014 (two towards Chelsea, each scored by Samuel Eto’o).
- Because the begin of final season, the 2 gamers with essentially the most Premier League assists from set performs are Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka (seven every, with Rice having now moved degree with Saka).
