Arsenal moved to within two points of Manchester United in the Premier League table after recording a 2-0 win over the Red Devils at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday .
Granit Xhaka’s deflected effort sent Arsenal ahead in the 54th minute, before Danny Welbeck netted a second three minutes later as Arsene Wenger finally overcame a Jose Mourinho team in the Premier League.
Man United had a half-chance inside three minutes when Wayne Rooney met a brilliant cross from Mata, but the Englishman’s header just missed Petr Cech’s crossbar as the visitors survived a dangerous moment early on.
Two minutes later, the Red Devils had another opportunity when Rooney fed the dangerous Martial inside the Arsenal box, but the France international could not find a route past Cech at his near post.
Arsenal’s first clear chance arrived in the ninth minute when Aaron Ramsey found space inside the Man United box before looking to pick out the bottom corner, but David de Gea was on hand to make a stunning save during an end-to-end period of the match.
Martial’s pace continued to cause the home side all sorts of problems as the first period developed, although Arsenal were dangerous when Welbeck had the opportunity to isolate Jones and Smalling in a forward position, and the former Man United youngster had a goal-bound strike just blocked in the 26th minute.
Man United then had a wonderful chance after Nacho Monreal’s loose back-pass fell to Rooney inside the Arsenal box, but the Red Devils captain could not find a route past Cech from close range as the score somehow remained goalless.
After a slow start to the second period, Arsenal made the breakthrough in the 54th minute when a long-range strike from Xhaka took a big deflection off the back of Herrera and ended up in the top corner of the net.
Man United just could not respond in the period that followed, and Arsenal scored a second less than three minutes later when Welbeck headed a brilliant Oxlade-Chamberlain cross past De Gea with help from the underside of the crossbar.
Rooney came close to finding the bottom corner with a 30-yard free kick in the 64th minute, but Cech made a smart save during a period where the away side were firmly on the front foot.
Rooney had another sight of the Arsenal goal in the 75th minute after finding a yard of space in a forward position, but the 31-year-old missed the post with a curling effort as the score remained 2-0 entering the final 15 minutes of football.
The result has left Man United, who have lost for the first time in the league since October, four points behind fourth-place Manchester City on the same number of matches, and Arsenal will now go above Mourinho’s team if they win their game in hand.
Trending
- Minister summons Lead British International School over bullying allegation
- Sex scandal : We won’t oppose any sanction against lecturer -UNN-ASUU
- Sanwo-Olu unveils EKO CARES
- UNN suspends lecturer for alleged sexual misconduct, begins probe
- Oyo LG honours Archbishop Ladigbolu, names road after late father, Akee Obayanritan
- Kogi Assembly blasts EFCC, demands removal of ‘wanted’ from Yahaya Bello’s name
- Zamfara: Passengers overpower bandits, kill one, seize two AK-47 rifles
- Aston Villa confirm new Unai Emery contract until 2027