Dramatic Every Time Arsenal Met United

Every time Arsenal and Manchester United meet, football fans around the world find it hard to look away. It's no wonder, these big matches are almost always a complete 90-minute package, full of drama and strategic clashes, giving us all goosebumps. So far this 2023/2024 season, I think #ARSMUN has been the best match in competitive leagues.

Declan Rice's winning goal celebration in the 90+6 minute that gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead

In Gameweek 4 of the Premier League, United fought hard and took the lead through Marcus Rashford midway through the first half, before Arsenal quickly equalized through Martin Odegaard less than a minute later. Garnacho's last-minute goal, ruled out by VAR for offside, could have easily changed the outcome. But in the end, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus made good on several chances in stoppage time to ensure Arsenal earned three important points.

With this win, the Gunners (5th) are looking to challenge for the title again after finishing second last season, while the Red Devils have dropped to 11th.

I've summarized three things we can learn from this match in North London. There are actually a lot, but it would take too long to read. Hehe.

Havertz desperately needs confidence.

From the pre-match press conference I watched, one of which was on HaytersTV, Super Mik focused on one person: Kai Havertz.

The boss said that Kai actually needs the "love" of Arsenal fans, because Arteta still believes in him. It's clear that Arteta won't give up easily, even though the love of the Emirates fans has been tested in the space of half an hour, over the course of three matches.

How could he not? Sunday's clash proved it. When he was in front of goal with the ball, accompanied by the roar of the stadium, it should have been his first league goal. Oh, how unlucky, Havertz!

Kai Havertz's golden opportunity in the 13th minute failed to convert into the opening goal

Kai Havertz's golden opportunity in the 13th minute failed to convert into the opening goal.

And a few minutes later, he misplaced the ball to Eriksen, who then passed it to Rashford for United's opening goal. The score was 0-1. The local Emirates crowd was instantly silent.

He also thought he had awarded his team a penalty in the 60th minute, after what appeared to be slight contact between Wan-Bissaka and Casemiro, but it was disallowed by VAR.

As an Arsenal fan, I can only assume his confidence needs to be truly tested at this point. At the very least, he could be considered starting from the bench.

Finally, 'Big Gabi' returned to the starting lineup.

This has been a source of speculation for Arsenal fans week after week, with some betting on whether Gabriel will return to the starting lineup.

Gabriel Magalhaes celebrates his team's victory after the clash

The strange omissions of the first gameweek, which continued into the next two matches, surprised even the more enthusiastic fans. In yesterday's Super Sunday match, Arteta again played in the style that made the Gunners look like they were in the title race last season.

For example, Alex Zinchenko played inverted, moving from left-back to midfield, William Saliba partnered with Big Gabi in the middle, and Ben White played at right-back.

Unfortunately, Thomas Partey's injury left a gap in the backline. However, the announcement of the Brazilian defender's inclusion in the starting lineup was met with rapturous applause at the Emirates.

'One Special Moment' in the final minutes of the match showed why. Garnacho sprinted as a substitute, with the Arsenal defense only chasing his shadow, until Garnacho slotted past Ramsdale. The goal came in the 88th minute, although it was ultimately ruled offside by VAR.

The moment Gabriel spontaneously pulled himself away to allow Garnacho to be caught on the offside line.

Gabriel cleverly held his line, leaving Garnacho just millimeters from the offside position. It was these small margins that decided the outcome of the match, and those moments were a strong factor in Gabriel's continued starting spot in Arsenal's starting XI.

On the subject of Manchester United's new striker, Rasmus Hojlund.

With the score tied at 1-1, anticipation for the visiting Manchester United side was heightened. That was when Rasmus Hojlund, the 20-year-old Danish striker, was introduced, highly anticipated by Red Devils fans. I saw Hojlund show glimpses of his talent despite coming off the bench in the 67th minute.

From what I saw, United were lacking a prolific striker, and Hojlund came in to fulfill that expectation. The question is, can this young man make that happen?

Rasmus Hojlund debuted for 23 minutes after coming on for Anthony Martial

It was early days, but I thought he made a decent first impression. His pace and power made things difficult for Arsenal's backline and gradually forced them to back off.

This was exemplified in a second-half challenge with Gabriel that saw the striker fall in the penalty box, leading to a penalty miss. But I think it was a 50/50 situation, so the referee ultimately decided on the decision.

The key here is patience. He made his first-team debut for Copenhagen in Denmark in 2020, and moving to the Premier League is a big decision given the elite and competitive nature of the league, making it difficult for newcomers.

However, as time goes on, United could acquire several vital players, in addition to captain Bruno Fernandes. Hojlund will face considerable pressure due to his hefty price tag. Again, it depends on the team and the player; perhaps this season will be the opportunity?

Those are three things I can share from the Arsenal vs. Manchester United match (FT: 3–1). Hopefully, this will be useful for further analysis or just for casual reading.

Feel free to share your thoughts below. Thank you!