The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsArsenal went into this game three points behind United who were being labelled as title favourites due to their Manchester rivals slipping up in consecutive games.
However United’s strong start to the season went out the window as Arsenal put three goals past David De Gea within 20 minutes which put the game to bed with 70 minutes still to play.
Arsenal have always been criticised for their performances in big games, this criticism usually aimed at Arsene Wenger regarding how he sets his team up. On this occasion no one can deny the Frenchman got his tactics spot on and was able to see the game out comfortably keeping a clean sheet.
Arsenal’s dominance was clear from the get go, and they didn’t waste any time in getting the first goal. Mesut Ozil’s cross was brilliantly flicked in at the near post by Alexis Sanchez to give Arsenal the lead. Seconds later Theo Walcott’s electric pace carved the United defence open who set up Mesut Ozil who slotted the ball into the bottom corner. The Gunners were 2-0 up with just seven minutes on the clock, the game looked over already at this point. Sadly for United Arsenal weren’t finished there, Alexis Sanchez cut in from the left hand side to unleash a rocket of shot to De Gea’s left.
Admittedly, United were much better in the second half and were able to create a lot more chances than they did in the first half. However this could be put down to Arsenal sitting back and defender their lead. Martial had the best of their chances, but was unable to beat an inform Petr Cech who proved to everyone why Arsene Wenger believes he could be the difference in the title race this year.
This result could be a major turning point in the title race. The Gunners now seem to be gaining momentum in the Premier League and are looking more dangerous as games go by. If the likes of Walcott, Sanchez and Ozil can perform like they did against United on a more consistent basis, then I expect Arsenal to mount a strong title challenge. Nonetheless, Arsenal still have a point to prove as many still think they are too “soft” to win the league.
As for United, Arsenal’s onslaught highlights that their defensive frailties have still not been resolved and could be exposed further when they face Everton at Goodison Park in two weeks time. If They continue to defend in such a negligent manner, then they will fall short of the league title despite their attacking qualities.
Sitting just two points behind league leaders Manchester City, Arsenal will have the belief that they can win the league this year, and with Chelsea struggling this could be a perfect opportunity to win their first Premier League title in 11 years.
