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Arsenal secured a comfortable 2-0 win against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League on Wednesday, December 4. The result sees the Gunners close the gap to leaders Liverpool to seven points as they remain third, while the Red Devils are 11th with 19 points from 14 games.
Both Arsenal and Manchester United made composed and cautious starts to the match as the game began with a tactical battle. Neither side was willing to give up much space to the other as they shared the ball for nearly equal durations in the first period. While the Gunners looked to distribute the ball more before moving forward, the Red Devils seemed keen to break forward on the counter.
However, neither of the two teams had any accuracy in front of goal in the first half. Arsenal attempted three shots but none of those were on target, while Manchester United attempted two shots which met the same fate. Two of the visitors' players were booked towards the end of the first period as neither side threatened to tick the scoreboard with the score 0-0 at the break.
Arsenal looked to take the initiative and were on the front foot to begin the second half. Wingers Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka began taking up more advanced positions and the Gunners ended up winning several corners. They grabbed their first goal as Jurrien Timber converted from a corner by Declan Rice in the 54th minute as Manchester United trailed by one goal.
Ruben Amorim made a triple-change shortly after conceding the goal as he looked for a way to get his team back into the match. However, it was ineffective as Arsenal doubled their lead from another corner. This time it was Thomas Partey's flick on that was tucked into the net by William Saliba to make it 2-0 to the hosts.
With very little time left at the end of the match, Manchester United were unable to find any reasonable opportunities to score. Arsenal won 2-0 and on that note, let's take a look at their player ratings.
Arsenal Player Ratings
David Raya - 7.5/10
Raya made two great saves for Arsenal to earn his clean sheet in this crucial Premier League match.
Jurrien Timber - 8/10
Timber scored a goal in the second half in a great game for the Gunners. He also won two duels and played one long ball.
William Saliba - 8/10
Saliba had a great game in defence as well, winning three duels and also making two clearances and one interception.
Jakub Kiwior - 7.5/10
Kiwior deputised really well in Gabriel's absence, winning four of five duels and also making three clearances.
Oleksandr Zinchenko - 6.5/10
Zinchenko put in a subpar performance and was also shown a yellow card.
Martin Odegaard - 7.5/10
Odegaard had a great game for Arsenal as he passed the ball with 89% accuracy, including three key passes. He also completed four dribbles past opponents and won six duels as well.
Thomas Partey - 8/10
Partey had a great game as he passed the ball with 92% accuracy, including one key pass, which was an assist for the Gunners' second goal.
Declan Rice - 8/10
Rice had a great outing as he passed the ball with 88% accuracy, including three key passes and three accurate crosses. He provided an assist for his team's first goal.
Bukayo Saka - 7.5/10
Saka had a decent game on the right flank as he passed the ball with 76% accuracy, including three key passes and four accurate crosses. He also won five duels and made two tackles as well.
Kai Havertz - 6.5/10
Havertz had a decent game up front for his team but was unable to get among the goals.
Gabriel Martinelli - 6/10
Martinelli squandered a big chance to score in a subpar performance from the Brazilian.
Substitutes
Mikel Merino - 6/10
He replaced Zinchenko but failed to make an impact on the match for the Gunners.
Leandro Trossard - 6.5/10
He replaced Martinelli and put in an energetic cameo to help his team close out the match.
Jorginho - N/A
He played less than 10 minutes and hence does not warrant a rating.
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Edited by Arnav Kholkar