Arsenal moved within seven points of leaders Liverpool as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba scored from corners to inflict Ruben Amorim’s first defeat as Manchester United boss.
Liverpool’s 3-3 draw with Newcastle gave Arsenal the chance to close the gap and, after a frustrating first half against Amorim’s well-drilled side, their set-piece prowess proved decisive.
In the absence of the injured Gabriel Magalhaes, it was Timber who made the breakthrough after half-time when he flicked home a wicked Declan Rice delivery at the near post for his first Arsenal goal.
Saliba doubled their lead when Saka directed a delivery from the opposite side towards the back post, where Thomas Partey headed the ball across goal and it bounced in off his team-mate’s backside.
William Saliba celebrates his goal against Man Utd
Saliba’s second took Arsenal’s tally of set-piece goals to seven this season, the highest in the Premier League, and they could have had more, with a succession of deliveries causing chaos in the Manchester United box and Mikel Merino heading narrowly wide when unmarked from another Saka centre.
Arsenal were indebted to David Raya for an outstanding, one-handed save from Matthijs de Ligt’s header before Saliba’s goal. The goalkeeper later made a sharp stop from substitute Antony following a clever Manchester United set-piece routine to avoid a nervy finale for the hosts.
But the hosts were deserving winners, with Amorim’s side unable to withstand their second-half pressure despite a disciplined first-half showing, ensuring Arsenal were able to capitalise on Liverpool’s dropped points at St James’ Park to boost their title hopes.
Chelsea’s 5-1 win over Southampton means Arsenal actually drop below the Blues on goal difference, into third, but the gap to the top is reduced. The defeat leaves Manchester United 11th.
Arteta: We can hurt teams from all angles
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta in his press conference:
“Very happy. It was a very special night, celebrating 500 games in this incredible stadium against an opponent with so much history between the two teams.
“Very happy with the way we played, after tweaking a few things for the second half, and how dominant we were, so a lot of positives.”
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Manchester United’s Tyrell Malacia battle for the ball
On Arsenal’s set-piece threat: “We need that. We want to be very dangerous and effective from every angle and every phase of play.
“We could have scored from open play, like we did against West Ham and Sporting. The team has belief. We have the capacity to threat the opponent from every angle.”
Rice: People wrote us off but we stuck together
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to Amazon Prime:
“It’s a massive result. What a night. We knew there is a new manager at Manchester United and they’ve looked really good.
“We knew it would be a test, we stuck to our game plan, stuck to what we knew and in the end we could have had three or four.
“You have to believe in your process. We believe in our process. We kept at it. When you go up for a corner it’s a chance to score a goal, not a chance to relax, and we’ve scored again. We’re buzzing, I’m so happy for the boys.
“When you have a blip in the league you get written off. We stuck together as a group. We knew the run of results wasn’t good enough. We got together as a group, we knew we could do better and now we’re seeing a turn in that.”
Amorim: Set pieces were the difference
Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim in his press conference:
“We have worked a lot on building up. You can see the structure and the idea. But then in the last part, in the final third, you can see we need to improve, be more aggressive and have more ideas.
“I make the evaluation of the game regardless of the result. Like I said with the 4-0 against Everton, you can take positive things but you have to improve.
“In the first half, especially the end of the first half, you could feel they were not comfortable. You could feel it in the stadium.
Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber runs with the ball against Manchester United
“We managed to control the right side very well. I think the difference today was the set pieces. You see after the first goal, the momentum changed and it was really hard for us to take full control of the game. We tried but it was the set-pieces.”
On his team selection: “It’s not because I like to change all the time. We have to have all the squad fit. Harry Maguire has a time limit. Tyrell Malacia has a time limit. Mason Mount has a time limit. Leny Yoro has a time limit.
“We have to manage winning games, with different methodology, more meters to press, and tomorrow we will assess them. The guys who have a risk of injury will not play.”
Analysis: Arsenal’s corners have become a form of psychological warfare
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright:
Even in the first half, before Timber’s opener, the home supporters inside the Emirates Stadium could be heard celebrating corners as though they were goals. Arsenal’s opponents know what is coming. Stopping it is another matter.
Arsenal’s total of 22 goals from corners since the start of last season is the most by any Premier League side. Manchester United had not conceded from two in one game in a decade and yet they were fortunate, as the deliveries rained in, that it was only two.
Timber’s goal came during a series of near-post deliveries that caused utter chaos in the Manchester United box, as Arsenal repeated the method that did for West Ham on Saturday, with players congregating at the far post and charging across goal.
Saliba doubles Arsenal’s lead from Thomas Partey’s back-post header
Then, when Amorim’s beleaguered players were expecting Saka to follow Rice’s example and direct his delivery to the same spot, he instead outfoxed Manchester United by looping one to the far post, where Partey was waiting to head across goal for Saliba to score.
It is a testament to the quality of the routines devised by their specialist coach Nicolas Jover, and the deliveries sent in by Saka and Rice, that Arsenal were able to inflict this much damage without their most dangerous set-piece weapon in Gabriel.
As Arteta stated in his pre-match press conference, their set-pieces are a collective effort. It is something Amorim understands. The Manchester United boss even claimed afterwards that Saka and Gabriel Martinelli are happy to force corners, knowing the damage they can do.
They have become a form of psychological warfare, the tension enhanced by carefully orchestrated delays over taking them. Manchester United were their latest victim. There will be more.
Arsenal’s deadly corners
- Arsenal have scored more goals from corners (22) than any other team in the Premier League since the start of last season. Ten of them have opened the scoring in matches, which is also a league-high in this period.
- Manchester United conceded two goals from corners in a Premier League match for the first time since January 2014 (two against Chelsea, both scored by Samuel Eto’o).
- Since the start of last season, the two players with the most Premier League assists from set plays are Arsenal duo Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka (seven each, with Rice having now moved level with Saka).
