Manchester United took the lead through Bruno Fernandes in stoppage time of the first half (45+2), but Arsenal managed to equalize in the 74th minute thanks to a goal from Declan Rice.
With this result, Arsenal's points tally increased to 55, securing second place in the league standings, though they remain 15 points behind the league leaders, Liverpool. Meanwhile, Manchester United now have 34 points, placing them in 14th position as they continue to struggle for consistency in the league.
From the opening whistle, Arsenal played with confidence and control, appearing as though they were the home team despite being at Old Trafford. They dominated possession, dictating the tempo of the game, and United found themselves under pressure for much of the first half. However, despite their control of the ball, Arsenal were slow to create clear-cut chances.
Their first real threat came in the 10th minute when Martin Ødegaard showed great skill to weave past both Casemiro and Christian Eriksen before attempting a quick exchange of passes with Declan Rice. However, before Rice could return the ball, United’s young defender Leny Yoro stepped in to intercept. The ball then rolled toward Mikel Merino, who took a shot from outside the box, but his effort went just wide of the near post.
Despite their overwhelming possession and ability to control the midfield, Arsenal struggled to turn their dominance into meaningful attempts on goal. In the 20th minute, Ødegaard tried his luck from long range, but his shot was comfortably collected by Manchester United’s goalkeeper André Onana.
Twelve minutes later, Arsenal attempted another attack, this time through Leandro Trossard. The Belgian received a long pass from goalkeeper David Raya and skillfully got past United defender Victor Lindelöf. However, his shot from the edge of the box lacked accuracy and missed the target.
Manchester United, who had spent much of the first half absorbing pressure, found their breakthrough in stoppage time. The referee awarded them a free kick just outside the box, and Bruno Fernandes took full advantage of the opportunity. The Portuguese midfielder displayed brilliant technique as he curled his shot over the defensive wall and into the bottom left corner of the net, leaving goalkeeper Raya with no chance.
United were dealt a blow early in the second half when defender Leny Yoro picked up an injury and had to be substituted. New signing Ayden Heaven came on in his place to make his debut for the club.
Arsenal pushed hard for an equalizer, forcing Onana into a crucial save in the 51st minute. Ødegaard unleashed a powerful strike, but the Cameroonian goalkeeper reacted swiftly to deny him. Moments later, United launched a counterattack through Diogo Dalot, who sprinted down the right flank before delivering a cross into the box. Moroccan full-back Noussair Mazraoui connected with the ball first-time, but Raya made an impressive reflex save to keep the score at 1-0.
Looking to add more attacking firepower, Arsenal made substitutions, bringing on Gabriel Martinelli and Myles Lewis-Skelly in place of Ethan Nwaneri and Riccardo Calafiori. The changes injected fresh energy into Arsenal’s attack, and they continued to pile pressure on United’s defense.
In the 60th minute, United nearly doubled their lead when Alejandro Garnacho sent in a short cross toward Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, who attempted an audacious backheel shot. Raya, once again, was alert and reacted well to keep the ball out.
Arsenal kept pushing forward, and in the 74th minute, they finally got their reward. Dutch defender Jurriën Timber provided an accurate pass to Declan Rice, who found himself in space inside the box. The English midfielder made no mistake, firing his shot past Onana to level the score at 1-1.
United tried to respond immediately, and in the 78th minute, Garnacho delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, where defender Matthijs de Ligt met it with a header. However, his effort lacked power and ended up as an easy save for Raya.
Arsenal continued to threaten, with Mikel Merino unleashing a fierce shot from outside the area in the 82nd minute, forcing another brilliant save from Onana. United had a golden chance to snatch the win in the 84th minute when substitute Rasmus Højlund found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but he hesitated too long before taking his shot, allowing Rice to recover and make a crucial interception.
In stoppage time, Ødegaard came close again with a low-driven strike, but Onana was equal to it. Seconds later, Bruno Fernandes had a final opportunity to restore United’s lead, but Raya pulled off a double save to deny him.
In the end, the match concluded with a 1-1 draw, a result that left Arsenal frustrated as they continued to chase Liverpool in the title race, while United remained in mid-table, struggling to find form in a difficult season.
0 comments:
Post a Comment