ERIK IS KEEPING FEET ON GROUND
following a superb start to the season
This felt like the first time a serious Gunners side had turned up here for well over a decade.
But it was United who should have gone ahead inside eight minutes when Antony’s sublime flick allowed Diogo Dalot to pick out Christian Eriksen at the back post, but the Dane fired just wide.
Aaron Ramsdale then had to produce a smart save to keep out Jadon Sancho’s low drive, before referee Paul Tierney ruled out a goal from Gabriel Martinelli following a foul on Eriksen by Martin Odegaard in the build up.
The Gunners were starting to impress and Martinelli almost beat David De Gea at his near post, before the Spaniard produced a stunning save to keep out a header from the Brazilian international.
But just like that United broke the stalemate 10 minutes before the break when Bruno Fernandes and Rashford combined to set-up Antony, who beat Ramsdale with a sublime finish so good even Cristiano Ronaldo stood up to applaud from the bench.
Sucking
Antony then shoved the ball up his shirt and started sucking his thumb in celebration while his opponents waited to kick off, which did little to dampen the growing animosity on the pitch.
Arteta’s men were a constant threat and the leveller duly arrived when Odegaard’s ball to Gabriel Jesus was deflected into the path of Saka by Dalot and he had the simplest of finishes.
In recent times United would have buckled, but Ten
Hag is developing a side with steel and the stage was set for Rashford.
He fired United ahead again after latching onto Fernandes’s superb pass.
But worse was to come for the visitors when another wonderful ball from Eriksen sent Rashford clean through again to cooly beat Ramsdale on 75 minutes. (left)
Fred (Sancho 67) ............................... 6 Casemiro (Rashford 80) .................... . Maguire (Martinez 80) ..................... ..
Ramsdale ......................................... 6 White ................................................ 6 Saliba ................................................ 6 Gabriel .............................................. 6 Zinchenko ......................................... 6 Lokonga ............................................ 6 Xhaka ................................................ 6 Saka .................................................. 6 Odegaard .......................................... 6 Martinelli .......................................... 7 Jesus 7
Smith-Rowe (Odegaard 74) .............. 6 Nketiah (Zinchenko 74) .................... 6 Vieira )Lokonga 74) .......................... 6 Tomiyasu (White 80) ...........................
Sep 8 Sep 11 Sep 15
Sep 8 Sep 11 Sep 15
Sociedad (home) ........... EL Crystal Palace (away) ...PL FC Sheriff (away) ........... EL
FC Zurich (away) ........... EL Everton (home) ............. PL PSV Eindhoven (home) .EL keep putting in performances like that.”
United climb to fifth in the Premier League — just three points behind Mikel Arteta’s table-topping
Gunners.
But Erik Ten Hag reckons United will get even better and the United boss said: “We have to keep pushing. We have to do better, there’s a lot of room for improvement.
“I’m not thinking we’re there, but we’re on our way in a good direction. We have to get better if you want to win trophies in the end.”
“We can make speed and creativity together, he will be a threat in the Premier League,” continued Ten Hag of Antony.
“We were missing a player on the right wing, (Jadon) Sancho and (Marcus) Rashford can play there but they prefer the left so now we have the missing link who can play well on the right.
Focus
“He did well but I think he can do better, he had a great goal but all the goals were team goals.
“We have to think about Europa League — today we will have a short celebration and tomorrow focus will be on the next game.”
Martin Odegaard hit out at the decision to disallow an Arsenal goal when the score was 0-0.
Gabriel Martinelli thought he’d fired his side ahead but the goal was chalked off following a VAR check when ref Paul Tierney deemed Odegaard had fouled Christian Eriksen in the build up.
Skipper Odegaard raged: “In my opinion it is never a foul. A soft challenge and for VAR to come in it has to be clear and obvious. It was very, very soft. You can make it look worse on camera. Never a foul, the referee said play on.”