On a day when too many of Arsenal’s greatest technical qualities deserted them, William Saliba showed the steel of a champion. Brave, purposeful and young, Manchester United approached their task with great purpose. They couldn’t really smell it. Numerous visits to Old Trafford since Sylvain Wiltord won the league title in 2002 have seen United look bigger, stronger and more streetwise. Not on Sunday. Saliba was like a playground bully. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo could swing and charge, but they couldn’t get their gloves on big bads like Scrappy Doo.
It wasn’t easy for the rest of Saliba’s team. For 36 games, Arsenal have kept the Devils at bay. They have been frightened by the graves and changes of so many of their contemporaries over the past twenty years. There are few more convincing explanations for a timid and slow first half, with second-ball vacuums bouncing off Manchester United’s bodies, distributing third balls sloppily and wasting so much time getting the ball to their opponents.
Thomas Partey suffered head loss, a relic from last season at Arsenal. Arsenal were derailed by injury, but he was so caught up in the moment that he never came back. Five minutes into the game, when he tried to fool Scott McTominay, he poked the ball high and wide past Rasmus Hojlund. As Ahmad Diallo charged towards the penalty box, the Ghanaian threw himself to the ground. There was no compelling case for United’s penalty, but Partey was poised to do something very damaging.
A better United would have punished the clumsy behavior that extended to the normally cool hands of Ben White, Bukayo Saka and even Declan Rice. Erik ten Hag never had the opportunity to name that kind of team, but the young players he fielded were determined to seize the moment. Diallo played with such vigor that one wonders why Antony had so much of a chance on the right, besides the fact that his manager had invested so much political capital in him. Too many of Garnacho’s crosses were wasteful crosses from last season. He crashed towards goal more effectively, firing crosses where Hojlund or McTominay should have been.
You can’t fault the industry of this young team, but without Mason Mount or Marcus Rashford, let alone Bruno Fernandes, they lacked the guile needed to break down England’s best defence. United’s achievements are represented by Kobbie Mainoo. He missed just two of his 51 passes, but the youngster looked back too often, giving him side control without penetration. To be honest, only one of the two has improved significantly in the team and ruined things at Crystal Palace on Monday night.
Although it may be represented by young people, it was defined by much more experienced figures. You might not know that Casemiro is the type of player who ambles back towards the rest of the defense when Andre Onana puts the ball into midfield. Saliba won the duel, as he often did, and Kai Havertz knew it. Immediately screaming for the ball to come his way, he caught it with about 5 yards out as Casemiro played him onside.
If an experienced defensive midfielder wanted to provide a mitigating circumstance in that he didn’t have to worry about being the last defender standing, he was instead punctured by the tame manner in which he defended Havertz’s crosses. With over 650 games under his belt, the player knows how to attack cutbacks rather than allow them to allow Leandro Trossard to find his way into the net.
Arsenal had chances to win the game as counter-attacking opportunities emerged, especially when Gabriel Martinelli was introduced. Last year’s more purposeful and confident winger would not have always needed an extra touch before firing between three United defenders and into Onana’s left arm.
It wasn’t much, but it was more than Manchester United made. Some of that was down to the team’s flaws, but a lot was down to the Arsenal players, who carried out the closing stages with as much composure as Saliba. As Garnacho raced towards his own penalty area, he stood firm and lured them in, knowing that a stepover would provide the perfect moment to advance and regain possession.
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When Arsenal needed to steel themselves against the pressure they created, they did so. From the 77th minute of the second half until the final whistle sounded, Manchester United recorded only one shot. All game they allowed just four shots in the penalty area, all of which came from live wire Garnacho. They challenged the young Argentine to beat them, and when he couldn’t, United had nothing more available. When the clock became their greatest weapon, David Raya sat on every cross. Jakub Kiwir and Jorginho jumped into the fray just in case.
Their nerves were frayed and their possession play erratic, but when the stakes were as high as they had been for a generation, Arsenal got the job done. The title race continues until the final day. They will find that they haven’t done enough to stay in front of Manchester City within seven days. But Mikel Arteta’s men will at least make sure the champions win it again.
