Arsenal ensured that the 2023-24 Premier League title race will go down to the final day with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford this afternoon.
Leandro Trossard scored the only goal of the game after poor defensive work from Casemiro as Mikel Arteta's side ground out a crucial win that lifts them back to the top of the Premier League table with only one game of their season remaining.
Anything other than a win at Old Trafford - something they had only managed once in the last 17 years - would have given Manchester City the chance to wrap up a fourth Premier League title in a row when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.
The title remains in the champions' hands, but regardless of what they do in North London in midweek, Arsenal's triumph today means that the run-in will go all the way down to the wire.
MATCH ANALYSIS
© Reuters
Given the recent form of these two sides, plenty of Manchester United fans may have been fearing the worst even before the teamsheets were revealed, and their mood would not have improved when they saw both Bruno Fernandes and, to a lesser extent, Marcus Rashford missing from the squad entirely.
Amad Diallo was called in for his first Premier League start for Man United in three years, while the centre-back pairing of Casemiro and Jonny Evans that was lambasted following their performance against Crystal Palace once again partnered up at the heart of the defence.
It was in stark contrast to the consistency of Arsenal, whose manager Mikel Arteta was able to name an unchanged side for the fourth game running, yet it was the hosts who arguably had the better of the first half in terms of general play.
Indeed, it was only a lazy piece of defending from Casemiro that opened the door for Arsenal to break the deadlock, with more questions sure to be asked of the trophy-laden Brazilian after another horror moment in a nightmare week.
Aside from that, Erik ten Hag will have been pleased with his side's performance in general, although they rarely actually looked like breaching an Arsenal defence that has been the best in the league this season.
The hosts did not register their first shot on target until the 72nd minute and never forced David Raya into anything other than a comfortable save.
In truth, this match was about as far away from the blood-and-thunder contests of the glory days of this fixture as it is possible to get, with very few flashpoints or moments of genuine quality on either side.
Arsenal will not care; a rare Old Trafford victory was the only thing that mattered for them today, and they ground out a crucial victory when nowhere near their best to take the race to the final day.
HIGHLIGHTS
4th min: Arsenal have made an encouraging start to the match, and Bukayo Saka has the first sight of goal from a tight angle, but it is easy for Andre Onana to gather.
5th min: Man United get out for the first time, and they almost punish Arsenal with it. Scott McTominay pinches the ball off Thomas Partey in a dangerous area and Rasmus Hojlund looks to have a clean sight of goal, but he slips at the crucial moment and cannot make the most of it.
9th min: Saka swings a corner into the box which Gabriel gets his head to first, but his looping header lands on the roof of the net.
21st min: GOAL! MAN UNITED 0-1 ARSENAL (LEANDRO TROSSARD)
Leandro Trossard finds the back of the net! 🥽 pic.twitter.com/qG7HdrmFLz
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 12, 2024
After a slightly concerning start for Arsenal, they have the lead at Old Trafford!
Casemiro is again the man at fault for Man United, playing Kai Havertz onside with some lazy off-the-ball running, and then not taking up a great position to cut out Havertz's low cross into the box.
Trossard joins Havertz is making the most of that lackadaisical play, stealing in ahead of Wan-Bissaka and convert the cross from close range.
HALF TIME: MAN UNITED 0-1 ARSENAL
61st min: Shooting chance for Garnacho from the edge of the box as he cuts inside and finds himself in plenty of space, but he gets his shot all wrong as it flies high and wide.
65th min: After a spell on the back foot, Arsenal pounce forward as Martin Odegaard picks the ball up on the edge of the box before going for goal, but it is a simple one for Onana.
72nd min: Antony has only just come on the pitch and he tries to make an immediate impact here, winning the ball back and advancing forward unchallenged, only for his tame strike to bobble easily into the arms of Raya - the hosts' first shot on target of the match.
77th min: Garnacho is looking most likely for Man United in this second half, and he fires into the side-netting here after being found by McTominay. Ben White did just about enough to prevent him from having a clean shot on goal.
79th min: Down the other end, Gabriel Martinelli cuts inside from the left flank and, with the Man United defence standing off him, eventually gets a shot away which forces Onana into a very smart stop.
Big chance for Arsenal to double their lead but Onana makes a good save! 🧤 pic.twitter.com/OXK4ygxWBL
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 12, 2024
83rd min: Onana is called into action a couple more times in quick succession, first punching the ball clear after it had come off Wan-Bissaka from a corner, and then beating away Declan Rice's long-range effort.
FULL TIME: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-1 ARSENAL
MAN OF THE MATCH - WILLIAM SALIBA
© Reuters
It was fairly slim pickings for this award today, with few players standing out on either side and quality noticeably lacking, particularly in the forward areas.
Defensively, though, Arsenal were sound throughout and never looked like conceding despite an under-par performance on the whole, and it was William Saliba who typified that resilience in the backline.
The centre-back had the most touches, tackles, interceptions, clearances and duels won of anyone on the pitch, while his tackle on Garnacho inside his own area was a particularly impressive moment.
STANDOUT MOMENT
Casemiro's laziness when getting out from defence proved to be the defining moment of the match, but in the interests of positivity we are going to go for a moment of quality instead.
Saliba's man-of-the-match display was crowned by a perfectly-timed challenge on a Garnacho in full flow just before the hour mark, nicking the ball off the toes of the Man United forward when any misjudgement would have resulted in a certain penalty.
In a game lacking a huge number of standout moments, Saliba channeling his inner Bobby Moore was one to savour.
BEST STATS
27 - Arsenal have won 27 Premier League games this season, their outright most ever in a campaign in the competition, and most in any league season since 1970-71 (29). Machine. pic.twitter.com/l1dmhAy1yR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 12, 2024
9 - This is Manchester United's ninth defeat of this season at Old Trafford in all competitions - they have never lost more at home in a single campaign in their history (also 9 in 1920-21, 1930-31, 1933-34, 1962-63, and 1973-74). Bleak. pic.twitter.com/HnDboiJckF
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 12, 2024
11 - Arsenal have kept 11 away clean sheets in the Premier League this season; only Chelsea in 2008-09 (12) have ever recorded more on the road in a campaign in the competition. Resolute. pic.twitter.com/B7SERPnGxe
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 12, 2024
14 - Only Cole Palmer (19) has more goal involvements in the Premier League in 2024 than Kai Havertz (14 - 8 goals, 6 assists). It's the most Havertz has ever scored or assisted in a single calendar year in the competition (previously 13 in 2022). Fire. pic.twitter.com/tlO6A4xndf
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 12, 2024
2021 - Amad Diallo is making his first Premier League start since May 2021 v Wolves (2 years, 355 days ago). Only Cristiano Ronaldo (12y 118d), Jonny Evans (8y 203d), and Timothy Fosu-Mensah (3y 56d) have had a longer gap between starts for Man Utd in the competition. Patience. pic.twitter.com/SLDJV8Q4sU
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 12, 2024
MATCH STATS
Possession: Man United 54%-46% Arsenal
Shots: Man United 14-11 Arsenal
Shots on target: Man United 2-5 Arsenal
Corners: Man United 4-7 Arsenal
Fouls: Man United 5-6 Arsenal
LINEUPS
MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Onana; Wan-Bissaka (Forson 87'), Casemiro, Evans (Kambwala 75'), Dalot; Mainoo, Amrabat (Eriksen 87'); Amad (Antony 70'), McTominay, Garnacho; Hojlund (Wheatley 88')
ARSENAL (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tomiyasu; Odegaard (Jorginho 93'), Partey (Kiwior 93'), Rice; Saka (Jesus 82'), Havertz, Trossard (Martinelli 67')
WHAT NEXT?
MAN UNITED: Erik ten Hag's side still have two league matches to play in the final week of a largely miserable campaign, hosting Newcastle United on Wednesday and then travelling to Brighton & Hove Albion on the final day.
Qualifying for Europe will be their main motivator during those two games, although some minds could be forgiven for starting to drift towards the FA Cup final against local rivals Manchester City on May 25.
ARSENAL: Victory today ensures that it all comes down to the final day for Arsenal, but things are not yet in their hands. They host Everton in a match they will be expected to win, but before then they will be cheering on North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City on Tuesday night.
Barney Corkhill
