After a bizarre evening of football, it was United who walked away from the Emirates with all 3 points thanks to a Kieran Gibbs own goal and a fantastic chipped effort from United skipper Wayne Rooney. The performance reminded many of a Fergie-esque display, as United came away victorious despite being outplayed for large parts of the game. So, where does this win leave Manchester United?
Well, in terms of league positioning, it leaves them 4th in the table on goal difference. With the Reds not involved in this years’ Champions League campaign, a place in the top 4 is a must for Louis van Gaal’s troops. United were lucky not to be 3-0 down within the opening 30 minutes of the game, but the consistently heroic David de Gea kept the Arsenal attackers at bay. It’s correct to praise De Gea for his performance, but on another day the luck might not have been on United’s side. Considering this, van Gaal will look to iron out these lapses of concentration from his defenders and tighten up that back line. However, after a shaky start to the game, McNair and Smalling stepped up and guarded a sacred three points.
The Reds will now be oozing with confidence after a hard earned win, and should look to kick on and finally start building some momentum. They host Hull City at Old Trafford next week, and they will be looking to take away three points, and nothing less. If they can get the expected three points next week, then they’ll remain in 4th place, showing their competitors that they mean business.
There were several key players that van Gaal can pick out from today’s performance. Wayne Rooney and Angel di Maria were the catalysts to United’s counter-attacks, using injections of pace to run at Arsenal defenders who were unable to cope due to the home side’s high attacking mindset. Both goals were a result of these counter-attacks, especially the second, which Rooney himself tucked away. Defensively, Michael Carrick was superb. This is massive for United due to Daley Blind’s injury, as van Gaal still has an experienced player to utilise in the defensive areas of midfield. And another thing, David de Gea is in the form of his life; yet another superb show of solidity between the sticks sees the Spaniard stand out as one of the key players under van Gaal this year.
In a nutshell, this result leaves Manchester United sitting confidently in 4th place with a fantastic opportunity to build momentum and finally achieve success this season. Louis van Gaal’s team has picked up 40 injuries since his appointment, but his weakened side have shown their capability to grind out a result against a strong opposition.