It seems like an eternity ago that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put away the penalty that won Arsenal the FA Cup and capped off an impressive end to last season. It was easy to see and support Arteta then, the buildup patterns were executed with laser-like precision and both Chelsea and City were victims of “Artetaball” at its finest. Fast forward a couple of months and Jamie Vardy was wheeling away in celebration at the Emirates once again and things were not looking quite as clear. Questions were being asked and the answers did not appear to be forthcoming.
A trip to Old Trafford is always a daunting one and the prevailing atmosphere at Manchester United was opposite to that at Arsenal. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s amorphous collection of talented individuals was turning into something recognizable or so the prevailing narrative led us to believe. The scalps of two of last season’s Champions League semi-finalists were evidence to support that claim and the individuals were finally performing in accordance with a predetermined plan, in short, things were on the up.
Before the game I felt that in many ways Manchester United presented an opportunity. The increased positivity around the club meant that if Arsenal could put them to the sword at their own backyard the benefits for the Gunners would be numerous. The squad would instantly be high on confidence and some belief would be restored in Mikel Arteta’s methods. The fact that United were not infinitely better than Arsenal also made things easier, this was an opportunity that did not come by often and to take advantage of it Arteta was going to have to make some big calls.
The previous game against Leicester saw summer signing Thomas Partey making his full league debut as part of the three in midfield and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as a wide man in an attacking triumvirate which had not been firing on all cylinders by any means this season. The injury to David Luiz meant that Arteta would have to make changes at the back to attempt to stifle a fairly free-scoring Manchester United side.
The eventual lineup on the day turned heads for various reasons. Nicholas Pepe returned to the bench, Mohammed Elneny replaced Granit Xhaka, Rob Holding came in for David Luiz and Willian replaced Ceballos. The debate raged as to whether Arteta would once again regret abandoning his best finisher to the wilderness of the left wing. This feeling was further exarcebated by the fact that Alexandre Lacazette was misfiring at crucial moments and many believed the moment of change had arrived. Arteta was not one of them.
The overarching message that he sent with this lineup was that he was sticking to his guns, the same system that brought disappointment against Leicester City was going to be backed against United. The message was very clear, Arteta believed in the style and change to it was not an option. All that was needed now was a manifestation of that confidence into a result, one that definitely seemed unlikely before the kickoff.
Arsenal were bright in the first half but their positivity came not in their success in creating many chances of their own but their in making sure that United could do nothing of the sort themselves. Gabriel Magalhães and Rob Holding were not afraid to step out even into the United half at times to ensure that the front two of Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood didn’t have a chance to turn on the ball. They were physical in the challenge and both of them were in the book by the time the first-half had drawn to a close but they had done their job, most of it was played in United territory.
The second half did begin in similar fashion, United laboring and Arsenal stifling but bar a few shots both penalty areas hadn’t seen much action. That changed however as a tired lunge by Paul Pogba sent Hector Bellerin tumbling in the penalty box and almost immediately Mike Dean in his trademark fashion pointed to the spot to very little protest from the men in red. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stepped up and slotted home. In the 21 minutes remaining the most impressive thing about this Arsenal performance was how secure the result looked. Apart from a rash challenge by Gabriel that he was lucky not to be sent off for, the Gunners controlled the game till the end with surprising confidence and nous.
To be able to win big games teams need to step up as a collective but there is often the need for big performances from key players. Not many would have had Mohammed Elneny down for a good performance but praise for him was lavish and unanimous after the final whistle. His energy and work rate was matched by no one in red and he alongside Thomas Partey unequivocally won the midfield battle at Old Trafford.
The performance of Rob Holding as well went largely under the radar but he deserves a lot of credit for how he dealt with United’s front men. The fact that he had just returned from injury made it so much more impressive and if he can stay fit he will be a key part of this Arsenal defence going forward.
Many records were broken upon the final whistle but the most important for Arteta’s men and Arsenal faithful everywhere was that the game was won in a manner that is becoming representative of how Arteta wants his teams to play. Some poor finishing and strange officiating cost the Gunners in some of their previous games but Arteta trusted his plan and his squad and everything fell into place against United, and it was a sign of better things to come for this Arsenal side.