Arsenal vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction after Granit Xhaka goal
Follow live reaction after Arsenal beat Manchester United in a big match in the race for the Premier League’s top four
Follow live reaction after Arsenal dealt a blow to Manchester United’s hopes of a top-four Premier League finish as Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka struck in a 3-1 win that revived the home side’s chances of Champions League football next season.
Arsenal were rewarded for their blistering early pace as Tavares tapped home in the third minute after United goalkeeper David de Gea pushed away a curling effort by Saka, following some poor defending by the visitors at the Emirates. Saka doubled the Gunners’ lead from the penalty spot after a foul on the winger in the build-up to a disallowed goal by Eddie Nketiah. Nketiah’s strike was ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee.
United’s sluggish display overshadowed fleeting moments in which they threatened and was another reminder of the challenge facing incoming manager Erik ten Hag, though the visitors got one back as Cristiano Ronaldo swept in Nemanja Matic’s cross. The Portuguese forward’s 100th Premier League goal came after a traumatic week personally for the player after the death of one of his newborn twin babies.
United improved after the restart but their woes deepened as skipper Bruno Fernandes hit the post with a poor effort from the penalty spot following Tavares’ handball, before a 70th-minute thunderbolt from Xhaka sealed the win for the Gunners.
Arsenal vs Manchester United
The team news is out.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tavares, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Nketiah
Manchester United: De Gea, Dalot, Lindelof, Varane, Alex Telles, McTominay, Matic, Elanga, Bruno Fernandes, Sancho, Ronaldo
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Team news on the way very shortly.
Alexandre Lacazette is expected to return for the hosts while Takehiro Tomiyasu could also be in contention.
For United, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane are set to come back in. Under fire Harry Maguire is expected to start from the bench.
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has warned Manchester United need “open-heart surgery” if they are to kick on under successor Erik ten Hag.
Placed in interim charge following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s exit in November, the highly-rated German coach has found it difficult to get a consistent tune out of the Red Devils’ stuttering stars.
This period in the Old Trafford dugout has laid bare a number of issues to Rangnick, who knows a thing or two about building success having overseen the rise of RB Leipzig and sister club Red Bull Salzburg.
Rangnick’s short-term focus comes with a long-term appreciation of what is needed for United, who may have made a “good choice” in appointing Ajax boss Ten Hag as permanent manager but still need to do much more.
“I’m pretty convinced that he’s the best possible coach that you could get right now,” the interim manager said.
“All the other things, as sad as it is and as frustrating as it feels right now for everybody involved - and believe me, for me this is extremely, terribly frustrating because in the last 10 years, if not 15 years, we only experience success, myself also as a sporting director and as a football manager.
“But in football you’re not always on the bright side. Right now we’re on the other side.
“But the good thing about what happened, one of the very few good things, is that it’s crystal clear. It’s not that difficult (to see). You don’t even need glasses to analyse and to see where the problems are.
“So, now it’s only about how do we solve them? For me, it’s clear it’s not enough to do some little, minor amendments, some little issues here and there, some minor cosmetic things.
“No, in medicine you would see this is an operation at the open heart, so there are more things to be changed than some little things here and some minor things there, and this is the good thing.”
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Mikel Arteta admits a part of him was wary of taking the Arsenal job as the spectre of Arsene Wenger continued to loom over the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners host Manchester United today with the visitors having announced Erik ten Hag as their new manager on Thursday.
The Dutchman will become the fifth permanent manager to take the hot seat at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 when he leaves Ajax this summer.
Arsenal were in a similar position when Arsene Wenger stepped down following 22 years at the helm with Unai Emery, his initial replacement, sacked after less than two years in charge.
Arteta was next through the door, the former Arsenal captain winning the FA Cup in his first campaign, but he said a little part of him was still uncertain of following in Wenger’s footsteps.
“It did (cross my mind when taking the job),” he said.
“But it was tiny in comparison to the excitement and the opportunity that I saw to join this club and try to do what we all wanted to do, which is to get it back to where Arsene took it at the highest level and obviously that desire was much bigger than the worries of failure.”
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Arsenal captain Alexandre Lacazette could return for today’s Premier League visit of Manchester United.
The striker is back in full training after testing positive for coronavirus but could find himself on the bench after his replacement Eddie Nketiah hit a brace in the 4-2 win at Chelsea.
Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) is closing in on a return while Kieran Tierney (knee) and Thomas Partey (thigh) are long-term absentees.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane are set to return as United head to the Emirates without a number of other key players.
The pair missed the 4-0 loss at Liverpool and Scott McTominay is fit after only being included as an emergency substitute at Anfield, where Paul Pogba picked up a calf injury that is set to rule him out for the rest of the season.
Fred, Edinson Cavani and Luke Shaw are sidelined. Mason Greenwood remains suspended by the club.
Arsenal vs Manchester United
Follow live updates as Arsenal face Manchester United in a match that could prove crucial in the Premier League top-four race.
The Gunners sit three points and a place above old rivals United in the table and will look to leapfrog Tottenham Hotspur and into the Champions League spots with a win at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta’s side sparked new life into their campaign with a 4-2 away win at Chelsea on Wednesday, after a run of three defeats threatened to end their hopes.
United are now looking to produce a similar result, following their humiliating 4-0 defeat to Liverpool in midweek, and three points would get Ralf Rangnick’s side back in the race.
United have this week announced that Erik ten Hag will become the club’s next permanent manager at the end of the season and securing Champions League qualification would be a boost to the Dutchman’s project at Old Trafford.
The size of the task facing Ten Hag was made clear by United’s performance at Anfield and there will be a number of players in Rangnick’s squad who could now be fighting for their own futures at the club.
Both these teams have struggled for consistency in recent weeks and a draw would do little for either side, with Tottenham facing Brentford in tonight’s later game.
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