**Ground gained in the title race**
A murmur of frustration grew as the game drew to its interval. It’s not that Arsenal were playing particularly badly, but this Arsenal fanbase know there is no more room for error.
Perhaps what spurred on their anxious groans were the score notifications coming through from St. James’ Park. Liverpool were drawing. A rare chance to regain ground in the title race had presented itself.
Eventually Arsenal took it. Two goals from set pieces were what was needed to get a win when they were far from their best. The old adage is that this is what title-winning sides do. Arteta prefers to describe it as winning in all contexts, and was predictably pleased at full time.
The Spaniard has stayed measured as the odds stack up against his side in this season’s title race. No side has ever come back from a nine point deficit in November to win the league. Arteta has refused to throw in the towel just yet though. Instead the focus is on making sure his side do their part.
“We try to look at our own business,” he said. “Try to perform the way we are doing at the moment and find ways to win the game. I think the team deserved the win today which is very good.
“What the opposition does we cannot control. You can see week in week out how good the oppositions are, it’s difficult for everybody.”
Even though Liverpool did drop points they still maintain a seven point cushion at the top of the table. That is a huge gap by any stretch of the imagination. But how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
Arsenal can hope for favours from Liverpool all they want, but if they’re not winning games there is no point in being lucky. The focus now turns to Fulham where, once again, only a win will do.
**Stop the set piece snobbery**
‘Arsenal only ever score from set pieces’, or so the criticism goes. But pause for second. Why is that a criticism? Why is scoring from a dead ball scenario such a bad thing?
We all love a well-worked peak Wenger-ball tiki take move, but if a team scores from a corner or a free kick does it not count the same? Why the snobbery?
Mikel Arteta certainty doesn’t have any issue with it. Revealing before the game he outlined his philosophy when it comes to set pieces.
“I don’t believe in (set pieces being done in a separate part of training),” he said. “It is all connected. We work in a way that is very close to the game.”
And so it proved against United. Arsenal had failed to maintain the attacking intensity that has propelled them back into form. So when that deserts them, what do they have to fall back on? Set pieces of course.
Jurrien Timber rose highest to nod home Declan Rice’s superbly weighted near post corner. There was a touch of fortune in the way Thomas Partey’s header from a Bukayo Saka corner deflected in off William Saliba’s backside a few minutes later, but Arsenal earned it through how much respect they’ve shown this oft-neglected part of the game.
By the end Arsenal fans were revelling in the self-fulfilling prophecy that is a corner ball right now. The build to a delivery from Saka was worthy of a finish that Mikel Merino was unfortunately unable to provide.
Try telling any of the fans enjoying that dead ball that set piece goals mean less. They wouldn’t have listened. Mikel Arteta certainly isn’t either.
“We need that,” he said of the two goals on the night. “I think we want to be very dangerous and very effective from every angle and every phase of play. Today we could have scored from open play like we did against West Ham and Sporting. The team really has that belief that from every angle we have the mentality to threaten the opponent and try to score.”
**Squad steps up**
The reaction when the team news came out for this one was apocalyptic. Gabriel was out. Jakub Kiwior was in. Cue the end of the world.
The Pole has gained something of an unfair reputation in recent weeks. Because he is not at the level of arguably the best centre back in the Premier League, people have made out that he is the second coming of Igor Stepanovs. A minor error against Viktor Gyokeres has been over-indexed. A weak moment against Jarrod Bowen has been hyped up. But let’s get something straight, Kiwior is no dud. In many Premier League teams he would be a starter.
He proved that against United. The game didn’t start at full pelt, but that’s understandable for a man making his first league start of the season. He grew in to the game though. His passing over the top became more crisp, his defending more astute. The high point came near the end when he smothered the rebound from an Antony shot and let out a roar of defiance - a show of emotion not commonly associated with the former Spezia man.
If you’re going to win a Premier League title, these are the kind of performances you need from your squad players. Pascal Cygan played 18 times for the Invincibles. No one would say he was a key player in that last side to win a title for Arsenal, but his winner’s medal is just as deserved as Sol Campbell or Kolo Toure’s.
The same can be said to a lesser extent for Oleksandr Zinchenko. On his first league start since the opening day the Ukrainian was solid for an hour before running out of puff and being quickly replaced after picking up a yellow for a foul on Amad Diallo. This ability to make changes to the squad without dropping the level is vital to any title-winning side. No wonder Arteta was so proud of them both.
“Big credit to Jakub and Alex,” he said. “It's the first start for Jakub after a long time. You have to be strong against this kind of opposition and front players. The same as Alex and they did magnificently well. Great.
“We trust them. They prepared so well, they had the opportunity, they grabbed it with both hands, so happy for the team.”