Arsenal 1 Manchester United 3: Jesse Lingard double punishes wasteful hosts
This was the first great 21st century fixture of English football, a top-of-the-table millennial rivalry that delivered great games, warring personalities and the occasional red card so, for all the lustre it might have lost, it was splendid to see those memories honoured with a true classic.
Somehow Arsenal lost this with 74 per cent of the possession and 100 per cent of the defensive mistakes, but for all their failings they made it a great game just as soon as they had gifted Antonio Valenica and Jesse Lingard a goal apiece in the first 11 minutes. By the end Lingard, in one of the performances of his life, had scored another and Paul Pogba had been dismissed for an atrocious foul on Hector Bellerin.
Yes, this was a game to evoke the days when these two teams divided the league title between them in the most bad-tempered fashion possible. Alexandre Lacazette scored Arsenal’s goal to get them back into it at 2-1 but unfortunately for the home side they ran into David De Gea in the kind of form where his shot-stopping is so exceptional the United goalkeeper almost feels like an unfair advantage.
By the end, referee Andre Marriner seemed to lose the plot a little. He might have sent off Laurent Koscielny for a foul on Romelu Lukaku when the Frenchman was the last defender, and outside the penalty area, but decided not to do so. Jose Mourinho was so incensed that Marriner may have had that in his mind when he overlooked fouls by substitute Matteo Darmian and Chris Smalling on substitute Danny Welbeck and Lacazette respectively, both of which were penalties.
Possession: Arsenal vs Man Utd
There is the occasional half of Premier League football which reminds you why they say that every game cost £11 million to Sky Sports alone, although this was one that the broadcaster will wish they did have the rights do. What makes English football so good, and matches such as these are the moments of great skill and the moments of human fallibility and when you have both then, conventional wisdom says, you have yourself a game.
This was a great game – one in which no-one was sure that they had the upper hand at any one moment, even United who rushed into a two-goal lead with 11 minutes and then survived some of the most intense pressure Wenger’s teams can summon up. It would be wrong to say that United were gifted their two goals but they were certainly obliged with two openings from Arsenal early in the game, both of which times they exploited ruthlessly.
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
The first time it was a lateral pass in his own half by the centre-back Laurent Koscielny that, in years past, would have had Alan Hansen shaking his head in disbelief for upwards of five seconds of dead air on the Match of the Day of yore. It was the breaking of rule No 1 in the centre-back handbook, a whimsical pass out to his left that Valencia was always going to be the first player to reach as he came driving down the right in the wing-back channel.
Valencia exchanged passes with Paul Pogba, got his head over the ball on the right side and drove his shot low and hard through the legs of first Nacho Monreal and then Petr Cech for the game’s first goal. The nature of the mistake left a cloud over the Emirates of recrimination and regret and then it got worse. The mood is volatile on this stadium, and when the weather changes everyone feels the chill.
Second time round it was Shkodran Mustafi malingering with the ball in full knowledge that Jesse Lingard was snapping around his heels as he tried to decide the out-pass to his midfield. Everyone in the stadium could tell that the German had waited too long and that Lingard would get a foot to the ball, possession breaking to Romelu Lukaku, whose direct pass forward found Anthony Martial.
Arsenal 0 - 2 Man Utd (Jesse Lingard, 11 min)
Now for the real magic, a ball played with the outside of Martial’s right foot as he turned, picking out the run into the box of Lingard who finished with his usual confidence. The young Englishman played between midfield and the front two of Lukaku and Martial and he did his job superbly in the first half, cajoled and ordered by Mourinho to adopt positions, and shut down defenders with that pace he has in abundance.
Then came the reaction. As the despondency settled on the home crowd, Wenger was forced to replace Mustafi who seemed to have injured himself in giving away the second goal. Alex Iwobi came on and Arsenal switched to a four man defence. They attacked United at every opportunity and it became ever more improbable that none of the chances they created were forced in.
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
David De Gea, as you might expect, was equal to so many of them, somehow managing to get something on a Alexandre Lacazatte shot from close range that cannoned up and off the bar. There were the proverbial scrambles, the kind of which you see more often in a lower quality of football but occasionally play-out in these top-grade matches when space is closed down and opponents entangled with each other.
Nemanja Matic made some important interventions during this time, and he also committed some strategic fouls. When the whistle went for half-time Arsenal seemed to have tried every route to goal without success.
Wenger’s team eventually found a way four minutes into the new half and on this occasion not even De Gea could stop them. Sanchez’s ball chipped sharply back across the United defensive line caught Mourinho’s team out completely. Both Aaron Ramsey and Lacazette were onside and the former guided it back into the path of the Frenchman to take his chance from close range.
In those next few minutes United seemed there for the taking and yet there was not an equaliser then was chiefly because of one man alone. De Gea saved his first shot of that period from Iwobi, a volley lashed in at chest height. The goalkeeper’s truly superhuman moment came a couple of minutes later when somehow he got something on two consecutive shots from Lacazette and Mesut Ozil and there was a beat of disbelief all around the stadium that neither had gone in.
United were on the back foot but they had survived and their third goal was a counter-attacking masterpiece that cut right to the heart of Arsenal’s insecurities. The move started from the edge of the area and Matic’s out-ball to Lukaku with his back goal. He guided it into the run of Lingard who spread it wide to Pogba on the right side of the area.
Arsenal 1 - 3 Man Utd (Jesse Lingard, 63 min)
The defender who was supposed to stop Pogba was the hapless Koscielny but instead the United man just seemed to lower his head and force his way past, squaring the ball to Lingard who was unmarked in the six-yard area. Koscielny had got close enough to admire his France team-mate’s new dash of hair colour but it never looked remotely likely that he might tackle him.
After that, Mourinho decided to change the game, substituting a nonplussed Martial and replacing him with Ander Herrera to bulk the midfield. United were inviting pressure and so it came. Perhaps there was some of that behind the recklessness of Pogba’s red card foul on Bellerin, a set of studs slammed down on the wing-back’s thigh and no question that time about the decision made by Marriner.
In the closing stages, the referee seemed to have decided the threshold for an Arsenal penalty was very high once he had failed to send off Koscielny for the foul on Lukaku and both Welbeck and Lacazette were turned down. It ended with Wenger making his feelings known to any official who would listen.
Arsene Wenger post-match
"Look I'm angry and disappointed because when you produce that quality and have nothing to show for it it's difficult to accept. Sometimes in defeat you ahve no positives but today we have some positives but I think we put ourselves in a difficult situation early on.
"We had not enough dictating our strength in fight from the start and then despite that we had 33 shots on goal against Man Utd and their goalkeeper was absolutely outstanding.
"I don't want to speak about the referees anymore. It looked like but he has to decide, I hope when we go to Old Trafford he'd be the same.
"I'm proud of their attitude and I feel sorry for the players to have given so much and not have any points at the end."
Jose Mourinho post-match
"I think it was a phenomenal game. I loved the way my team played and fought but I have also to say, Arsenal played in some periods, amazing attacking football creating difficulties for us. I have to say my players deserve all the great words, I don't so many more in English but phenomenal, fantastic...
"The plan was when they have the ball we all have to defend, starting with the attacking players and when we have the ball to counter-attack fast. We had another ball in the past, we had Lukaku facing Petr Cech and of course they had chances but we fought and had a great goalkeeper too. I think we deserve.
"I told [De Gea] after the match, what I saw today was the best goalkeeper in the world. I think our players all the effort was magnificent, the intelligence tactically to play to the game. Later playing with 10 men we had to change again and they were brilliant.
"I don't know. I leave for you that one. I leave for you the Lukaku situation with Koscielny, I leave for you Arsenal players on the grass because the grass is beautiful. I think there is a desire to go for the grass."
I have no idea what the grass comment meant. Did someone dive? I can't remember any examples of diving there.
Players react
David De Gea:
It was of course difficult, we scored great goals and we're really happy,
We score two quick goals but I think at the end of the first half we lose control of the game and they have two, three chances. The send off to Paul was difficult but we defend really well and we are happy with the three points.
[Stock football answer] It's a win, all the team defends really well the 90 minutes, we need to keep looking forward to the next game [/end stock football answer]
Jesse Lingard, who sounds utterly miserable:
"It was kind of end to end in the first half, in the second we had to regroup, reorganise to adapt to them.
"Their mistakes cost them and we punished them."
Victory for Man Utd
That win puts Man Utd seven points clear of Arsenal in second place, Arsenal drop to fifth because of Liverpool's earlier win, and 'Fortress Emirates' has been conquered!
FULL TIME
A magnificent victory for Mourinho, again, over Wenger and United deserve the points. That was a pulsating, electric match and one of the most enjoyable between these two teams in recent memory. Arsenal punished for poor finishing and a slow start, United ruthless and clinical.
90 mins +4
Ozil is conducting Arsenal's attacking play but they just can't open the defence up. Side to side, a pass over the top, backwards, side to side. United head away - it's been a really impressive defensive performance by Mourinho's side. Seconds left on the clock... and Monreal is caught offside. That should be all!
90 mins +2
And now Lacazette has gone down in the area after another clever Ozil through-ball but that's not a penalty. Ozil finds Ramsey, who gets his pass wrong and now Young looks for a free-kick near the halfway line.. and gets it.
Arsenal have created space here, Ozil pulls wide and volleys a pass into the middle.. RAMSEEEEEY blasts it over the bar.
Rashford comes on for Young, who has been one of United's best players this evening.
90 mins
Welbeck chops back inside the penalty area and draws a tackle... is that a penalty?! The referee says no and Welbeck gets back to his feet! That should have been a penalty! Darmian catches Welbeck's standing leg and sends him over.
Herrera and Sanchez are booked for a little argument they're still having.
88 mins
Arsenal have too many players in the middle of the penalty area attacking the same ball - it's too simple to defend against. Lukaku works hard against Koscielny to get goal side and could well be away here! Koscielny swipes and takes him down. Mourinho wants a red card! It's yellow. That gives United time to slow things down and keep Arsenal near their own box.
86 mins
The Pogba red card. For me, it doesn't look like there's too much intent to do Bellerin in, but it is clumsy and dangerous.
85 mins
Iwobi is sent wide left, cuts onto his right and has to go backwards. Welbeck wins space with a dummy shot and then takes a real one which takes a deflection and is turned over by De Gea. The corner is dealt with, Rojo heads away another cross, Arsenal come at them again.
It's too static upfront for Arsenal, there just aren't options to pass in behind the defence and United can keep them away. Welbeck attacks an early cross from Ramsey but heads over.
83 mins
Two Arsenal players are near the centre-circle, everyone else is just picking a space close to the United box and looking for a way to open up the defence. United can't keep the ball or clear their lines, it's constant pressure from the Gunners.
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
Ozil is furious at himself for overhitting a chipped ball into the area, missing Giroud and putting it out for a goal kick.
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
80 mins
Arsenal are now throwing everyone forward but don't really have any wide players on to stretch the pitch. United get everyone except Lukaku behind the ball, Arsenal pass from side to side, Ozil finds Ramsey, who crosses in but it's cleared and Herrera opts against pinging a long pass to Lukaku and instead slows things down.
Cech has to come off his line to deal with a long ball over the top which beats the Arsenal defence.
77 mins
Young sprints to Mourinho as soon as he realises that Pogba's being sent off and United make a change, taking Lingard off for Darmian.
Kolasinac off for Giroud. Lacazette stays on past the 75th minute! What world is this?!
75 mins
Pogba catches Bellerin while stretching for a tackle... and he's off! RED CARD! What... has happened?
Card: Arsenal 1 - 3 Man Utd (Paul Pogba, 74 min)
Ooooh on the replay that is a bad one. He's left his right foot clean on Bellerin's right leg and stood on his left after. Pogba can't believe it and storms off "applauding" the referee.
73 mins
Bellerin goes completely through Young with the most yellow card worthy slide tackle in the history of slide tackles. Booked.
72 mins
Xhaka comes off for Welbeck. That might mean Ozil drops into a deeper midfield role... unless Wenger has gone mental and wants to play a one man Ramsey midfield.
Matic catches Lacazette with an elbow but it looks accidental and the referee just gives a free-kick. Seems fair.
69 mins
Martial off, Herrera on. As usual, Martial looks thoroughly annoyed to be taken off in yet another United game. Mourinho wants to get control of this game now.
United are cutting out Arsenal's passing lanes and they're finding it difficult to get forward as quickly as they might like. Ozil, who we haven't seen for ages, fires a pass into Sanchez and then batters the return at goal but can only hit bodies in the middle.
Welbeck getting ready to come on. Ozil slides in late on Herrera and should probably have been booked... but for some reason gets away with it. Visible frustration from Ozil.
66 mins
How will Arsenal react to that? They were all over United before that goal and now the crowd have gone quiet.
Sanchez manages to fire a shot from 20 yards and makes De Gea parry it, then Kolasinac goes in hard (but fair) on Valencia. The referee's had a strong game.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!
UNITED HAVE A THIRD! It's Lingard again!
Arsenal 1 - 3 Man Utd (Jesse Lingard, 63 min)
Arsenal caught on the counter again! Pogba flicks a direct pass to Lingard, gets it back in the box and easily holds off the challenge of Koscielny, who is close to giving a way a penalty and pulls out of the foul before it's too late... then Pogba just slides the ball across the six yard box for Lingard who taps into an empty net.
63 mins
Lukaku gets to the byline but his pass is blocked and now Arsenal are racing at goal! The cross is cleared and then United look to counter. End to end to end to end. Lingard goes down under a challenge and wins a free-kick. Mourinho could do with some sort of change here to calm the waves of attack down.
Look how many shots Arsenal have had.
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
That's insane. We're only at 63 minutes!
60 mins
Rojo goes through the back of Sanchez clumsily, dragging his studs down the Chilean's Achilles. Ozil stands over it wide right, crosses into the six yard box but Matic heads away.
There's a clash of heads and the referee gives the game a chance to breathe for a few seconds. Matic has taken a real knock to his head there, that looked sore.
57 mins
WHAT A SAVE! HOW!!!! HOW HAS HE SAVED THAT?!?!?!?! That's incredible! Iwobi finds Lacazette, who shoots from 10 yards low and hard and De Gea gets down to save it! Sanchez follows up and HAS to score - absolutely has to - but De Gea tackles the ball like a defender and blocks at his near post. Unbelievable.
Attempt Saved: Arsenal 1 - 2 Man Utd (Alexis Sánchez, 56 min)
56 mins
Arsenal are really piling on the pressure.
Possession: Arsenal vs Man Utd
Iwobi darts around and wins a corner, Pogba heads away, Arsenal start again with a launched ball forwards. Sanchez looks for Iwobi with a chipped pass, Matic wants to clean up and does... but Arsenal press high and win it back.
Sanchez crosses from close range to Iwobi who can only really get his body in the way and watches the ball bounce to the goalkeeper. Arsenal keep coming.
53 mins
Arsenal have come out like a rocket, they're all juiced up and putting the pressure on United's defence. The crowd are lively too since that goal.
LINGARD IS CLEAN THROUGH! Koscielny tries to put him in the bin but misses with his slide tackle, Lingard keeps going, Cech comes out... Lingard tries to go round him but Cech doesn't buy it, stays big and blocks the shot. The ball spins off him and is about to drop into the back of the net... then hits the post. Martial is there and just as to put it into the net but Monreal blocks! Wow.
Out: Arsenal 1 - 2 Man Utd (Alexandre Lacazette, 52 min)
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!
Arsenal have pulled one back immediately!
Arsenal 1 - 2 Man Utd (Alexandre Lacazette, 49 min)
Ramsey makes a brilliant run in behind the defence, is totally onside and cushions it back for Lacazette who lashes the ball high into the back of the net. That caught everyone by surprise!
48 mins
The pitch still looks fairly stretched, which is good news. Sanchez puts an early ball into Iwobi which Rojo reaches and turns away.
KICK-OFF 2
The players are back with no changes made. More of the same please! United get the second half started.
One of many goalmouth scrambles
Martin Keown's verdict
Hugely disappointing from an Arsenal point of view, not looking after the ball. They weren't alive for the first five, 10 minutes.
True that
Difficult to analyse that half because it was basically mental.
— gunnerblog (@gunnerblog) December 2, 2017
And look at this:
Arsenal vs Man Utd shots on goal
Arsenal had so many touches in the Man Utd box too:
Arsenal vs Man Utd
HALF TIME
Noooo don't let that end! It's about as good an advert for Premier League football as you'll get. End to end, skills, quick passing, physical battles, tactical games... if the second half is anything like this, this game will be remembered as a classic.
45 mins +2
An Arsenal free-kick is whipped in from the left, Xhaka pulls Lukaku over and it flies towards De Gea. The goalie dives and blocks at point blank range! Incredible save! Koscielny tries to turn, bodies everywhere, legs flying in, can he get a shot away? No! Blocked! United scrap the ball away. Another penalty box rammy.
45 mins
Pogba leads the attack again, turns the Arsenal defence inside out and finds Martial, who easily goes past his man and looks for Lukaku in the area. Lukaku stays far too static behind the shoulder of the defender and doesn't attack it like he maybe should have... and it's headed away.
Arsenal then attack. Bellerin shoots, De Gea saves. Kolasinac shoots and it's saved! What a game this is!
43 mins
Pogba plays a clever backheel volleyed pass to himself - so cool - and Martial steals it, dribbles inside and is then fouled. Or at least it looks that way, but the referee says no.
Arsenal attack, win a corner... and it drops for Ramsey! HE MUST SCORE! Denied! Matic dives in to block a certain goal!
41 mins
Ramsey does well to read a pass inside the Arsenal area and cuts it out before Lukaku has a chance to turn.
Young has been outstanding so far, winning the ball back and keeping possession well. Xhaka wipes out Martial with a slide tackle but wins the ball, thus preventing the inevitable yellow card he seems intent on picking up today.
38 mins
Lindelof is hounded into giving away another corner. De Gea comes to catch it and gets collided into! It's not a foul though. Looked it. Actually, replays show Rojo bounced into him, so scratch that.
Arsenal keep up the pressure, chip in from the right and Ozil attacks it on the volley! First time, low and hard... but straight at De Gea.
Keeper pick-up: Arsenal 0 - 2 Man Utd (David de Gea, 36 min)
Iwobi tries a speculative effort from 25 yards, to the left of the penalty spot. Wild, high and wide.
35 mins
Average touch positions (31 min)
Arsenal's shape is a little skewed there because of the substitution.
ARSENAL ARE IN!Sanchez gets in on the left, puts it in the area, Lacazette misses a tap in at the near post, it drops to him off the goalkeeper and he waits, waits, waits, waits and shoots from inside the six yard box... but hits the bar! Iwobi attacks the rebound, deflected. Xhaka must score! WIDE!
Out: Arsenal 0 - 2 Man Utd (Granit Xhaka, 32 min)
United counter-attack immediately! Pogba breaks away, looks up and sees two men over in the box! He pulls it across... and Koscielny slides in! This could be an own goal! Saved. End to end stuff at the Emirates and it's brilliant fun to watch.
32 mins
United's defensive wall is massive. They're all tall players, over six foot or so and Ozil might struggle to get this one up and down over it.
Instead he lifts the shot but Young reads it and gets back to head the ball away before it gets to the near post. Young was hiding behind the wall waiting for that, which isn't something I think I've seen before.
29 mins
United are playing some really nice football with Lukaku and Pogba are linking well in particular.
Arsenal come forward though and Ozil has a pass cut out. Pogba wins the deflected clearance and takes United forward quickly, then waits for the right pass. United get up and pin Arsenal in their own half. Lukaku wanted the ball played earlier ahead of him.
Sanchez goes down on the edge of the area under a challenge from Rojo and wins a free-kick.
26 mins
Marital is being pressured by his own corner flag by two Arsenal players but manages to hold them off, find Young, and get a one-two to win a throw-in. Excellent work there by the Frenchman. United then get themselves a goal kick and take their time over it.
23 mins
Ramsey shoots from 25 yards but it rolls harmlessly towards De Gea. Worth a punt but poor execution.
Young trips as he tries to control the ball and puts it out for a corner as Xhaka chases him. The ball is headed away, falls to Ramsey... and he shoots! It deflects off a Lacazette and is about to drop in over De Gea's head! Can he get there?! The ball drops onto the roof of the net.
Lingard is down with an injury problem. Mourinho is giving instructions to Pogba, making sure that Matic and Pogba don't leave the defence exposed.
21 mins
Now Arsenal are on the run. Iwobi sprints to get involved down the right, pings it back into the area but with far too much zip for anyone to control and a cluster of players bundle the ball behind for a corner.
It's sent into the area, Lacazette gets onto Xhaka's knock down and is then pushed to the ground by Rojo's arm, going down while trying to stab it at De Gea. That could easily have been a penalty but is saved by De Gea at point blank range.
What a start!
19 mins
That's Lingard finishing for the second.
Arsenal win a corner as Bellerin fires in a cross but United easily win it back and Lukaku bursts away from Ramsey down the right, crossing into the middle for a striker.
Pass: Arsenal 0 - 2 Man Utd (Romelu Lukaku, 18 min)
Arsenal head it away but yet again were easily pulled apart by United's counter-attack. This game has played straight into Mourinho's hands, it's exactly how he'd want it have gone.
16 mins
Pogba's stride gives him an extra few inches on everyone when he dribbles and he takes out two Arsenal players with a touch as United try to break again. Arsenal are piling on the pressure but United get men behind the ball.
Iwobi is now on, let's see what Arsenal do with their shape now.
Possession: Arsenal vs Man Utd
14 mins
Big change for Arsenal now too. Mustafi has a muscle injury and has been substituted for Iwobi... is that a change of shape already from Wenger? It looks like they have gone to a four at the back, with Monreal tucking in alongside Koscielny.
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLL!
Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant from United!
Arsenal 0 - 2 Man Utd (Jesse Lingard, 11 min)
Mustafi is left all alone, gets caught out, Lukaku plays an absolutely amazing reverse through-pass into Martial - the vision to see that run! - and Martial spins to flick it on for Lingard, who stays onside and then slots in off the bottom corner of the post. A smash and grab against a dizzy Arsenal!
10 mins
Smalling gives away a free-kick 20 yards out and Sanchez can score from here. He's lined up the shot, which is in Beckham territory, slightly left of the D... but slams his shot into the wall.
United look fired up for this. Ozil works hard to keep the ball in play and pulls it into the area - superb vision to spot the pass - and Kolasinac drills it low across the goal but Rojo clears.
8 mins
United are a lot more spread out on the pitch than you'd think for a Mourinho team away from home. They've got men high up the pitch, the defenders are holding a line slightly deeper than an attacking team normally would, and they're filling the midfield with bodies. Sanchez goes on a run but has to come back, Ramsey tries to dribble his way through but has to pass, United get everyone behind the ball except Martial and Lukaku, who are waiting to counter-attack.
GOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLL!
Koscielny gives the ball away with an awful pass, Valencia latches onto it, plays inside to Pogba, who draws the tackle from four players and frees up Valencia to have a shot. He drills it low between Cech's legs - United have started on the attack and it's paid off!
Arsenal 0 - 1 Man Utd (Antonio Valencia, 4 min)
4 mins
Xhaka gets a little excited and kicks Rojo while trying to chase him into the corner but only gives away a free-kick and avoids a booking that would certainly have been awarded had this been later in the game. Arsenal have given the ball away! United have men over!
3 mins
Both teams have done a lot of running already, chasing the ball without really having control of it. United get forward, Young attacks the left wing and wins a corner as Koscielny blocks at the near post.
The ball is whipped in but headed wide by Pogba, never really threatening the goal.
1 mins
Well it's almost started. The referee makes Arsenal retake the kick-off.
KICK-OFF
Here we go! Arsenal get the game started.
Here come the players
The excitement is building! They're on the pitch!
Arsenal warming up
Paul Pogba
"I really love football, football is my life.
"I was injured for a long time, I came back, we won the game but it's about the long-term.
"Playing against Arsenal is always a big game, a good game, against one of the biggest teams in the world, big players. I know a friend of mine is going to watch this, Thierry Henry, and want me to lose."
He's wearing an ear-ring in the shape of a P. Gets away with it. Classy.
The managers' pre-match words
Mourinho:
"When we have the ball we want to attack, when Arsenal have the ball we have to defend."
"[Lacazette] surprised me because the manager told me he was out, so that's a bad start. That's a bad start when we say things that in the end don't happen. But he's just a striker, a good striker, we know they have very good options so it's just a case of different qualities."
Wenger:
"We'll try to dictate the game every time we can, Man Utd will try to do that as well. [We have to be] efficient with the ball, their team is very quick on the counter attack so [we need a strong team performance]."
Martin Keown's wife to Martin Keown
"I think you've gone and done it now!" is how she described Keown's antics in that famous Arsenal Man Utd match when Keown confronted Van Nistelrooy after missing the penalty.
Rio Ferdinand: "You were out of order. You're lucky we didn't see it! Unbelievable."
Mourinho mind games
I'd absolutely love it if at the final whistle Jose Mourinho runs onto the pitch and aggressively tells Mesut Ozil how good he is at passing the ball. It would be such a tremendous windup.
Photos from the ground
Mo Farah is there. He'd surely make a decent box-to-box midfielder with all that energy. That said, I have actually seen him play and feel safe suggesting that Farah did well to stick to athletics.
Wenger's cunning plan
Hello everyone! Welcome to our liveblog for this massive match. It's a crisp, cold evening in North London and Wenger has sprung a surprise by fielding a player who would 'definitely miss' today's game in his starting XI. Lacazette is that man.
Mourinho is similarly devious though and had suggested that Matic wouldn't make it. He has, with both managers opting for a three man defence.
Team news alert!
The team news is in - and @LacazetteAlex starts#AFCvMUFCpic.twitter.com/6Xzh3MsRqm
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) December 2, 2017
Here's your #MUFC team to take on Arsenal. Our starting XI is unchanged from Tuesday night's win at Watford. #ARSMUNpic.twitter.com/r2NcFVRH9l
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 2, 2017
