Three talking points from Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Gabriel celebrate

Three talking points from Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal

By Paul Martin

The curse has finally been lifted. 

Arsenal have enjoyed some torrid visits to Manchester United in recent years but now, after 14 years, the Gunners finally gave their fans a reminder of how it feels to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford.

This win is the latest sign of the improvements Mikel Arteta is making to the belief and overall quality within this Arsenal side and was the perfect way to respond to last weekend’s flat defeat to Leicester.

Here are three talking points from an excellent win…

Gabriel the Great

A lot of the hype around Arsenal's new signings has focused on Thomas Partey – and with good reason, as the Ghanaian has settled in brilliantly at The Emirates and was superb again on Sunday.

But it is another newboy, Gabriel, who continues to quietly establish himself as a shrewd addition.

The Brazilian defender has barely put a foot wrong since arriving from Lille and was consistently in the right place at the right time to quash any United attacks at the weekend.

A vital tackle on Nemanja Matic was the standout moment from his latest accomplished display and his passing is integral to Arteta’s trust in playing out from the back.

Gary Neville singled out the 22-year-old as "the best player on the pitch" on Sky Sports and his performances are a huge factor behind Arsenal’s status as the most miserly defence in the Premier League.

Elneny’s redemption

Mohamed Elneny appeared an Arsenal outcast not long ago but he is one of several players to have had new life breathed into him by Arteta’s leadership.

His performance on Sunday typified why the Spaniard was so keen to reintegrate the 28-year-old.

The Egypt star broke up attacks, snapped into tackles and kept possession effectively to provide an ideal foil to Thomas Partey in the heart of what now looks a dynamic midfield.

Elneny’s energy is a crucial part of Arsenal’s pressing game and was summed up by a passage of play in the second half, when he pressurised Luke Shaw into passing backwards before forcing Victor Lindelof to take a heavy touch out of play.

His confidence has never been in doubt and he said afterwards that he "knew we were going to win this game". 

Such belief will be essential against the other 'Big Six' sides if Arsenal are to kick on this season – which leads us to the third talking point…

Beating the big boys

Arsenal's record against the other 'Big Six' sides has been their Achilles heel for a long time now, with the Gunners too often a soft touch when it came to taking on their rivals towards the top of the table.

Arteta seems to be changing that and Sunday represented Arsenal’s first away triumph at a fellow 'Big Six' side since the 2-0 win at Manchester City in January 2015 – breaking a winless stretch of 29 games.

When added to other recent evidence, be it last season’s FA Cup victories over Manchester City and Chelsea or the Community Shield success against Liverpool, the signs are growing that Arsenal can once again pose a threat to the league’s leading lights.

With various factors, from the lack of crowds to the non-stop games, at play, the Premier League looks as open as at any time since Leicester won the league, with just three points separating third and 13th.

If Arsenal can find consistency and continue asserting themselves against the 'Big Six', there could be plenty up for grabs this season.


Popular posts from this blog

What have we learned from Arsenal's pre-season so far?

Image
  Arsenal – what have we learned from pre-season? By Jack Lacey-Hatton It only feels five minutes since Euro 2020, but incredibly we are just one week away from the new Premier League season starting. Arsenal will travel to newly promoted Brentford for a London derby in front of a noisy crowd next Friday night, not the easiest of starts to the new campaign. But what sort of shape are Mikel Arteta’s side in, going into what could be a defining season for the manager? We took a close look at what we have learnt from the pre-season period and what kind of shape the squad are in.   The new signings are ready to go It has been a mixed transfer window so far. Some fans would have expected more both leaving and arriving at the Emirates stadium over the summer. But positives can be taken - Ben White has arrived from Brighton for £50million, and highly-rated full back Nuno Tavares has come in from Benfica. Albert Sambi Lokonga completes the 2021 summer singings so far. Cruc...
Read more

Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves

Image
Transfer Profile: Ruben Neves By Jonny Bray It is hard to believe that Ruben Neves is still only 25-years-old.   It feels as if the Portuguese international has been tipped for big things for nearly a decade now.  With the midfielder out of contract in 2023, it appears his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers could be coming to an end.  Understandably, with a player like Neves on offer for a reduced price, clubs around Europe are queueing up to secure the international's signature.  So, after all this time, should Arsenal move for Ruben Neves now, or is it time for the Gunners to turn their attention to a new target?  What would he bring?  Arsenal do not have enough defensive midfielders.  Martin Ødegaard, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka give Mikel Arteta plenty of midfield options going forward, but the Gunners have been found lacking when out of possession this season. Thomas Partey has been in and out of the side due to injuries, a fact that has not hel...
Read more

Where will Arsenal finish this season?

Image
Where will Arsenal finish this season? By Alec McQuarrie Arsenal have made steady improvement over the last few seasons under Mikel Arteta. After finishing 8th in his debut season, the Spaniard oversaw a five-point improvement in his first full campaign.  And last year an eight-point leap followed, which was unfortunately not enough to pip Tottenham to fourth place.  Cruelly, the 69 points accumulated would have been enough to seal Champions League qualification in the previous two seasons.  Looking at the trajectory over the Arteta era, it would be fair to assume a continued improvement this coming season.  After all, with five signings already secured this summer and Alexandre Lacazette the sole first-team player to depart, surely fourth place should be a bare minimum expectation.  Oleksandr Zinchenko offers much-needed cover at left-back and competition for central midfield.  Gabriel Jesus is a proven goalscorer and brings a tireless work-ethic to fulfil...
Read more