Manchester United clashed heads with Arsenal earlier tonight looking to make it 8 wins out of 8 matches under their interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær. The Red Devils started the game on the front foot and took the lead in the 31st minute courtesy of Alexis Sanchez’s goal. The away side doubled their lead just two minutes later via Jesse Lingard’s smart finish from close range.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave his team a lifeline just before the half-time break when he found the back of the United net with an instinctive finish. However, Solskjaer’s men kept their composure and registered another goal in the 82nd minute through Anthony Martial’s breakaway goal to earn a well-deserved 3-1 victory on the night.
Let’s take a look at how each Man United player performed during the match against the Gunners.
GK: Sergio Romero – 7/10
The Argentine keeper made a few crucial saves in the second half to restrict the Arsenal attackers to just one goal on the night.
RB: Ashley Young – 6/10
The English talent used his experience well to put in another strong performance at right-back.
CB: Eric Bailly – 6/10
He lost track of Aubameyang in the lead up to the Arsenal goal. Otherwise, it was a solid display from the Ivorian centre-back.
CB: Victor Lindelöf – 7/10
The Swede commanded his own box well and made a few well-timed challenges to keep the Gunners attackers at bay in the second half.
LB: Luke Shaw – 7/10
The English left-back was a good outlet for Man United down the left flank and was defensively sound as well.
CM: Ander Herrera – 7.5/10
The Spaniard distributed the ball accurately and kept things ticking for the away side at the middle of the park.
CM: Nemanja Matic – 7/10
The Serbian international did the dirty defensive work in midfield and broke down numerous Arsenal attacks throughout the encounter.
CM: Paul Pogba – 8/10
The French superstar looked a real threat on the counter. He made some fantastic driving runs towards the Arsenal penalty box and was one of Solskjær’s biggest weapons going forward.
CAM: Jesse Lingard – 9/10
The English midfielder linked up play well between the midfield and the attack. He seems to enjoy dropping into spaces and always coming alive in the final third. Lingard took his chance well with a bright finish to give his team a commanding two-goal lead in the first half.
ST: Romelu Lukaku – 7.5/10
The Belgian centre-forward was full of energy and ran the channels well for his side. He set up both Sanchez and Lingard in the first half to cap off an excellent display for the away team.
ST: Alexis Sánchez – 7.5/10
The Chilean sensation took his chance well in the first half by displaying some clever feet before rounding off Peter Cech to slot the ball into an empty net. However, his impact on the game faded as the match went on.
Substitutes:
ST: Marcus Rashford – 7/10
He used his pace well after coming off the bench for the final quarter of the game.
ST: Anthony Martial – 8/10
The Frenchman kept his composure to score with a controlled finish.
CB: Phil Jones – N/A
He came on to run the clock down and see off the win for United.
