Lingard strikes to let Mourinho off the hook
The excellence might have been missing but, in all other ways, this was just like old times. At times brilliant, at times brutal, but always compelling, a high-scoring draw turned out a fair result between old enemies. Just don’t tell Tyson Fury.
Arsenal had the lead twice and held it for a combined total of five minutes. On both occasions, Manchester United equalised from their first counter-punch and, in the second half, almost straight from kick-off 13 seconds later.
That was the most ridiculous passage of play: an Arsenal goal run into the net by a United defender, a United equaliser as good as teed up by an Arsenal man. Total football, it wasn’t. Total chaos, maybe.
The scores were level at 1-1 when, in the 68th minute, Marcos Rojo tried some clever footwork in his own half. he gave the ball straight to henrik Mkhitaryan as Arsenal broke. Mkhitaryan combined with another of Unai emery’s substitutes, Alexandre Lacazette, and as he pulled the trigger to shoot, in charged Rojo, succeeding only in helping the Frenchman’s shot ricochet past David de Gea.
Arsenal looked to have claimed another victory late, but from the kick-off the ball was played upfield to Romelu Lukaku. he turned Shkodran Mustafi, who looked to be struggling with injury, emery having used all three substitutes, before Sead Kolasinac came in to mop up.
The mop-up became a mess-up, however, as he ran the ball straight into the path of Jesse Lingard, to push the ball past Bernd Leno.
Pierre-emerick Aubameyang forced two fine saves from De Gea in the 70th and 75th minutes, the second redeeming his mistake for the visitors’ opener.
It was the right result, but hardly of much use to either team.
This was the first match between these sides since August 1986 not to involve either Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, but old habits die hard.
In the space of five minutes after United had equalised, referee Andre Marriner booked five players, and Arsenal defender Rob holding disappeared on a stretcher.
Briefly, it was just like old times. Not the quality of the football, which left something to be desired, but the needle.
Fittingly, as Fury was here to watch his team. he arrived 17 minutes late but, this being Old Trafford in 2018, he didn’t miss much.
It took a while to get going, but once it did, the action escalated quickly. An Arsenal opener after 26 minutes, a United equaliser four minutes later, then from minutes 37 to 42, five bookings and what should have been a sixth had Marriner not missed a very naughty one on Ander herrera from Lucas Torreira.
Ultimately, Arsenal broke the deadlock through the unlikeliest of avenues: a mistake by De Gea. Torreira curled in a lovely corner, aimed for Mustafi, who lost his footing but recovered to meet the ball just the same.
If anything, his slip propelled him with even greater purpose, but his aim was off and the ball was buried into the turf in front of him. It reared up and appeared to take De Gea by surprise.
he parried the ball but not with his usual strength and it squirmed over the line. herrera tried to clear but the goal-line technology did not lie. Marriner signalled the goal. These days, there can be no complaints.
VAR might have had something to say about United’s equaliser, mind. Not just herrera’s position for the assist, but the initial foul.
Anthony Martial looked to have dived to buy the foul against Matteo Guendouzi, but Marriner bought it and awarded a free-kick outside the area.
Rojo took it and Leno parried to his left. herrera was first to the ball — probably because he was offside — and clipped it back for Martial to finish.
And so there was niggle. Marcus Rashford went in hard, but just about fair, on holding, who played no further part in the game — and then the yellow cards brought back memories of the days when this was the best, but often also the ugliest, match of the season.
Mustafi took out Rashford just the right side of the penalty area to avoid calamity and, when the free-kick was blocked, Rojo dived in two-footed attempting to stop Guendouzi clearing.
Of all the yellows, his was the one that could easily have turned red, but Marriner was feeling generous. Lingard was booked for a foul on Torreira, then Bellerin for one on Matteo Darmian.
Nemanja Matic was then cautioned for pulling back Aubameyang.
This match had a further casualty, however, when Aaron Ramsey did not appear after half-time, having received treatment following a tussle with Matic.
In this case, it was Ramsey snapping at his opponent’s heels that caused the damage; Arsenal two players down with 45 minutes remaining. Mkhitaryan took his place against his former side.
MAN UTD (3-4-3): De Gea; Bailly, Smalling, Rojo (Fellaini 72); Dalot, Herrera, Matic, Darmian; Lingard (Pogba 75), Rashford, Martial (Lukaku 63). Subs not used: Romero, Mata, Valencia, McTominay. Booked: Rojo, Matic, Lingard. ARSENAL (3-4-3): Leno; Sokratis, Mustafi, Holding (Lichsteiner 36); Bellerin, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac; Ramsey (Mkhitaryan 46), Aubameyang, Iwobi (Lacazzette 65). Subs not used: Cech, Elneny, Maitland-Niles, Nketiah. Booked: Mustafi, Bellerin, Torreira. Referee: Andre Marriner. Attendance: 74,507. Man of the match: Marcus Rashford.