Timber and Saliba on Target as Arsenal Secure a 2–0 Win Over Manchester United at the Emirates

With Manchester City falling to Liverpool in a thrilling clash, Arne Slot's high-flying side remains nine points clear at the top of the table. But right on their heels are Arsenal and Chelsea, both vying to close the gap.

The Gunners have been on fire lately, delivering a statement of intent with back-to-back emphatic victories. First, they demolished Sporting CP with a five-star performance in the Champions League, and then followed it up by dismantling West Ham with another five-goal masterclass. However, overcoming Manchester United isn’t a straightforward task, especially after Ruben Amorim’s arrival. Before tonight’s clash, the Red Devils had won two games and secured a draw in Amorim’s first three games. Therefore, United came into the game in decent form.  

Having said that, Arsenal started the game on the frontfoot. Just four minutes into the game, Arsenal thought they had drawn first blood when the ball found the back of the net, capitalizing on a chaotic attempt by Manchester United to play out from the back. United's defense stumbled under pressure, allowing Martinelli to pounce and set up Havertz for what seemed like a straightforward finish. But just as the Emirates erupted in celebration, the linesman’s flag went up—Havertz had strayed offside. The goal was chalked off, leaving the Gunners and their fans frustrated but hungry for more. 

Arsenal continued to probe, and in the 9th minute they very nearly had a well-deserved opener. One of Arsenal’s main offensive proponents this season have been set-pieces, and it was a corner kick that nearly gave the Gunners the lead. Declan Rice whipped in a sumptuous ball to the near-post where Thomas Partey was on hand to nod home. However, the Ghanian fluffed his lines horribly. Despite that miss, Arsenal continued to rack up attempts on Andre Onana’s goal, but the Cameroonian was equal to those attempts. Onana made two excellent saves in quick succession, as he denied Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice. In spite of Arsenal’s dominance, both teams went into the break with the scores level. 

Following the break, Manchester United started as they meant business. The Red Devils began to string a couple of passes and were looking in ascendency. However, the Gunners delivered a sucker-punch in the 54th minute, as Jurrien Timber rose above the rest to nod home the opener from another well taken set piece. The “Set Piece King” struck again, and now United had to take risks in order to find an equalizer. Mattijs De Ligt came the closest to finding the leveller, but David Raya made a spectacular diving save in the 67th minute. 

But just as Manchester United appeared to be making a comeback, the Gunners scored their second goal of the night. The breakthrough came from yet another corner. Saka delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Partey rose to meet it with a strong header. The ball ricocheted off William Saliba, catching his hip on its way into the net. It might not have been the cleanest finish, but it was enough to send Arsenal fans into raptures. From that point on, the game was well and truly over. Ruben Amorim’s men had very few chances to wipe off Arsenal’s clean sheet.  

This was Arsenal third straight win in the Premier League. And after a rough November, their title challenge is on track. The Gunners finished the day in the third spot with 28 points. Additionally, league leaders Liverpool dropped points at Tyneside, as their match against Newcastle ended in a 3-3 draw. With the season heading towards its busiest portion, it’s a good habit to pick up wins on a consistent basis – especially against your rivals.