Arsenal 3-2 Manchester United
For me – and many others the world over – this is THE iconic Premier League fixture.
Two heavyweights of English football who shaped so much of the first 20 years of the competition with a rivalry which, for a time, was unsurpassed in its drive tension and relentlessness.
In recent years that has eased somewhat but they renewed rivalries today as two clubs on the up and with aspirations of ruling the country once more.
For Manchester United that is still some way off; for Arsenal perhaps less so judged on league position at the halfway point of the campaign.
In fact, Gunners fans have enjoyed a season full of Premier League highlights so far with only one reverse and that coming at Old Trafford earlier in the season.
Were Arsenal out for revenge?
Could United repeat the trick?
What exactly would we see on this cold January afternoon in North London?
Highlights of the game
Passion and plenty of attacking play for starters.
Home manager Mikel Arteta kept faith with the team that started the North London derby win at Spurs a week ago with new signing Leandro Trossard on the bench.
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag brought in Scott McTominay for the suspended Casemiro.
A blistering start by the hosts saw them force a succession of corners and Thomas Partey came closest to scoring when he flicked wide.
Then came one of the men of the moment 17 minutes in and a superb finish from Marcus Rashford.
The England international showed quick feet to shuffle away from Partey and then, from long-range, delivered a rip-roaring shot which skipped off the turf and into the bottom corner of the net.
If that was one of the goals of the month, the leaders’ response was impressive and they were level within six minutes.
After Eddie Nketiah saw a shot deflected over and Gabriel Martinelli fired a first-time effort wide, Granit Xhaka sent a cross to the back post and there was Nketiah, deputising well for the injured Gabriel Jesus, who took advantage of some hesitant defending to make it 1-1.
For the neutral, this was a game to enjoy with both teams attacking and displaying the faith and confidence instilled by two managers who have earned the trust of their players with their footballing beliefs.
McTominay was outside the box and saw a side-footed effort pushed to safety by Aaron Ramsdale as both continued to attack before Luke Shaw made two important blocks to deny Bukayo Saka as the half drew to a close.
Saka was the danger man throughout the second half and showed his emerging class seven minutes after the restart when he cut inside and rifled the ball into the bottom corner, although United stood off.
Just before that goal, Lisandro Martinez had produced an inch-perfect sliding challenge to stop Xhaka from scoring and he emerged at the other end five minutes later to prove equally effective as it was United’s turn to hit back.
Ramsdale could only half push away a corner and the diminutive centre back kept his cool and stopped low to head over the defensive pack, despite the best efforts of Gabriel.
From this point, Arsenal applied the pressure, aware they really needed to win this game with reigning champions Manchester City on their tails.
Saka curled a shot which rattled the foot of the post and David de Gea then produced the save of the match, superbly palming away Nketiah’s shot from close range.
Yet there was to be one final twist and, with the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds leaning towards a draw, Nketiah got a touch from close range to send the home fans into raptures.
A defining moment in the season?
Key statistics
Nketiah has scored 19 times across his last 26 starts in all competitions, including 13 goals in his last 13 starts at the Emirates.
Rashford has scored nine goals in all competitions since the World Cup finished, the most of any player in Europe’s big five leagues.
He has also netted five times and assisted four more in 11 Premier League starts against Arsenal.
Arsenal have won six of their past eight home league matches against United.
This was the third consecutive time Saka had scored in the Premier League against United – Freddie Ljungberg and Thierry Henry are the only other players to have achieved that feat for Arsenal.
What’s next?
There’s a break now from league action for nearly a fortnight.
Arsenal are next in action against Manchester’s other giant, City, who they face in the FA Cup at the Etihad Stadium on Friday evening. United are at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night in the first leg of their League Cup semi-final before hosting Championship club Reading in the fourth round of the FA Cup next Saturday night (January 28).
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