Five talking points from Saturday’s Emirates Stadium clash.
Manchester United claimed an impressive 2-1 win away to Arsenal this weekend to earn their first victory on the road since April and move into the Premier League top four. Here are five observations from the game at the Emirates Stadium…
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1) Wenger behind big managers tactically
We may have known this already, but it has been confirmed once again that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is way behind most of Europe’s other top managers in terms of tactics.
While Louis van Gaal tinkered his side’s formation after Arsenal carved Manchester United open for so much of the first half, his opposite number seemingly allowed his team to lose all their shape after going 1-0 down. Even with 30 minutes left on the clock, Arsenal’s defenders were bombing forward and leaving huge spaces for United’s players to hit on the break. A goal on the counter-attack immediately looked inevitable for the visitors, and they could have scored more from those openings than the one they eventually did get through Wayne Rooney.
In games like this, the decisions of the managers can make all the difference, and so it proved here.
2) Both defences look poor
They may both be struggling with injuries at the back, but both Arsenal and Manchester United looked extremely suspect defensively in yesterday’s game, which is startling for two of the Premier League’s top sides.
The Gunners were all over the Red Devils in the opening periods of the game and should have taken a few more of their chances, while van Gaal has David de Gea to thank for keeping the game at 0-0 for so long.
Arsenal, meanwhile, were picked apart all too easily for both goals, with Wojciech Szczesny and Kieran Gibbs both woeful on the first goal, while the team just lost all shape by the time Rooney added the second.
3) Giroud should start over Welbeck
Much of the focus was on Danny Welbeck before this game, with the England striker making the surprise £16m move from Manchester United to Arsenal on deadline day in the summer.
The 23-year-old has become an automatic starter for the Gunners due to the absence through injury of Olivier Giroud, but if this game is anything to go by, he is quickly set to lose his place in the team.
Welbeck, who has only scored two Premier League goals for Arsenal so far, was poor again against his old club, while Giroud didn’t take long at all to make an impact from the bench, scoring a stunning goal to give the home side a faint glimmer of hope late on. The Frenchman has had his critics, but Welbeck’s worrying form has made it all too clear that he is still the best option upfront for Arsenal.
4) Wilshere’s form a worry for Arsenal
After attracting so much praise for his performances in an England shirt during the latest international break, Jack Wilshere was terrible in a big game for his club, missing a chance he simply has to put away and being extremely lucky not to get sent off for showing his bad temper.
The 22-year-old has not lived up to the hype seen in him as a youngster and needs to up his game quickly, with Slovenia and Scotand not the calibre of opposition that will show us how good a player he is.
Wilshere also looks worryingly injury prone, and now looks set for another spell on the sidelines after going off early in the second half yesterday.
5) Top four wide open this season
While defeat might’ve realistically ended Manchester United’s top four hopes, this win blows the race for a Champions League place wide open. One feels Arsenal and Liverpool will improve over the course of the season and get back in the running, but United could even be close to challenging Manchester City, sitting just five points behind their inconsistent rivals.
Still, the Red Devils’ weaknesses mean there could be plenty more ups and downs along the way, and it’s still very hard to call who will eventually finish in the top four this season.