Arsenal 2-0 Man United – PLAYER RATINGS: Who was Mikel Arteta’s quarterback? Which Red Devils defender kept Bukayo Saka quiet? And who did United need more from?
Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as Manchester United manager as his side slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
After a goalless first half, it was Jurrien Tiumber who broke the deadlock with a set-piece shortly after half-time.
The Gunners then doubled their advantage from another dead-ball situation, with the ball going in off William Saliba’s hip after Thomas Partey headed Bukayo Saka’s corner back across goal.
United failed to stage a comeback but it was another step in the right direction for Arsenal as they closed the gap at the top of the table with Liverpool after the Reds were held to a 3-3 draw at Newcastle.
But who were the standout players at the Emirates?
Mail Sport’s ISAAN KHAN was in North London to assess the players from both teams.
Arsenal defeated Man United 2-0 and handed Ruben Amorim his first defeat
Ruben Amorim’s team held firm in the first half, but could not keep Arsenal at bay after the break
ARSENAL
David Raya 7.5 – The distribution, especially under pressure, was impressive, both on the floor and in the air. Great save in 67 minutes.
Jurrien Hout 7.5 – Kept vigilant on that right flank against a lively Alejandro Garnacho. His physicality was often an asset in challenges – and he scored from a corner.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring and was very strong at the back for the hosts
Willem Saliba 8 – Shielded the ball well and broke forward effectively like a quarterback in American football when there was space. Some quality passes, and also scored. Man of the match display.
Jakub Kiwior 6.5 – Handled pressure well. Often targeted by the opposition front lines, but held his ground, with the help of colleagues.
Oleksandr Zinchenko 6 – Eliminated after 43 minutes, almost costing his team. Some decent crosses into the area.
Martin Odegaard 6.5 – Fallen deep to get to the ball. When he got it, he looked calm as ever.
Thomas Partey 6.5 – Gave the ball away a few times and looked nervous when he was on it. But there were other facets to his game too. His header led to Saliba’s goal.
Thomas Partey was nervous at times, but got the assist for Arsenal’s second goal
Declan Rice 6.5 – Helped in trying to get the ball. Gabriel Martinelli continued playing fifteen minutes after the break.
Bukayo Saka 6.5 – Looked dangerous when he got the ball but was dealt with well by Tyrell Malacia. More success in the second half.
Bukayo Saka had more joy in the second half after Tyrell Malacia left
Kai Havertz 5.5 – An anonymous first half. Didn’t have many touches and wasn’t as outspoken in duels as he usually is.
Gabriel Martinelli 6.5 – He scored early, but was disallowed for offside. Had some decent attacking breaks. Should have made better use of his chance after 48 minutes.
Manager
Mikel Arteta 6.5 – His team missed the important Gabriel, but managed to navigate through it.
Mikel Arteta overcame injuries in defense to guide his team to a deserved victory
MANCHESTER UNITED
André Onana 6.5 – Booed for being on the ball for ages on goal kicks. A bad pass after four minutes allowed Martinelli to score the ball – although he was lucky it was offside.
Noussair Mazraoui 7 – Some good passes from the back under pressure and helped his teammates set up Saka.
Noussair Mazraoui did well to keep Bukayo Saka quiet for a long time
Matthijs de Ligt 6.5 – He stayed in position and made it difficult for the attackers to break into him. Almost scored with a header in the second half.
Harry Maguire 6.5 – He looked nervous on the ball, but kept the back line together. Good awareness to cross the ball in as Arsenal went down on 43 minutes.
Diogo Dalot 6 – Had a great chance from a Maguire cross that he could have done better with.
Manuel Ugarte 6 – Compounded in the middle. Although he is reluctant to pass the ball into forward areas.
Bruno Fernandes7 – Man United’s best player in midfield. Controlled the tempo and the cornerstone of many attacks.
Bruno Fernandes was Man United’s best midfielder, but could not inspire his side to victory
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Tyrell Malacia 7.5 – Addicted to rest, probably because he is not yet fully fit. But he was classy. Saka kept quiet – not many defenders can say that this season.
Mason Mount 6 – Some nice attempts at creativity with flick-ons and runs forward. But he had to bring more to United’s game.
Alejandro Garnacho 6.5 – Looked lively on the ball and kept looking for the man. Saliba has antagonized him a few times.
Rasmus Hojlund 6.5 – Good hold-up, both in the air and when shielding the ball. But not much on target.
Manager
Reuben Amorim 6 – There were some promising signs overall, but he desperately needs to work on set-pieces. Man United were terrible at defending it.
Referee
Sam Barrett 6.5