Arsenal defeated Manchester United 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium in one of the most exciting matches of the season.
Arsenal moved ahead of Tottenham Hotspur into fourth place thanks to goals from Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka, and Granit Xhaka, while Cristiano Ronaldo scored United’s lone goal.
The Gunners took the lead in the third minute when both Raphael Varane and Alex Telles failed to clear Xhaka’s cross, allowing Saka to sneak in and score. The initial shot was saved by David de Gea, but Tavares was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Minutes later, United had a golden chance to equalize through Elanga. But Tavares retreated just in time to block this shot and the Swede’s shot was palmed behind by Aaron Ramsdale. The Red Devils did get several chances through Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo but Arsenal’s defense was alert at all times.
The most notable event occurred when Diogo Dalot rocked the crossbar from distance. Minutes later, the United full-back was lucky that Eddie Nketiah ran past it and blasted straight at De Gea.
20 – At 20 years and 230 days, Bukayo Saka is the youngest player in Premier League history to score a penalty in consecutive appearances. Nerve. #ARSMUN pic.twitter.com/WGLWw9yNta
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 23, 2022
Nketiah, on the other hand, had the ball in the net shortly later. Martin Odegaard’s pass found Saka, who was tackled by Telles but managed to tap home after the ball rolled into his path. Nketiah was found to be offside by VAR, but Arsenal was awarded a penalty after referee Craig Pawson saw Telles pushing Saka.
The Arsenal winger stepped up and sent De Gea the wrong way to give the Gunners a two-goal lead. Just before the first half, Ronaldo scored his 100th goal in Premier League.
The striker scored with a powerful finish from a Matic cross, ghosting between Tavares and Gabriel before blasting into the top corner. In first-half stoppage time, both Telles and Odegaard had minor changes, and the score remained 2-1 at halftime.
After the break, a good stretch of Arsenal control saw Tavares get the better of Dalot and set up a good chance for his second goal of the match, but his shot went way above the bar.
Minutes later, the Portuguese teenager was awarded a penalty for a careless handball but was saved when Fernandes’ penalty hit the crossbar.
Later in the second half, Ronaldo believed he’d equalized, but a late offside flag and a lengthy VAR check denied him a goal. After Mohamed Elneny stripped Fernandes of possession, Arsenal restored their two-goal lead through a 25-yard rocket shot from Granit Xhaka.
From then, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners were able to cruise to victory, putting pressure on Tottenham. Meanwhile, Ralf Rangnick’s team might slip further behind in the race for a top-four finish.
As things stand, it looks increasingly difficult for Manchester United to sneak past Arsenal in the points table.
