Even the climate appeared to need this match finished. By the point the ultimate whistle blew at Previous Trafford the skies had already damaged open, pounding the turf with English summer season rain, gluing Erik ten Hag’s ill-advised houndstooth summer season sports activities jacket to his shoulders, leaving Mikel Arteta squelching throughout in skintight all-black to punch the air in celebration of a 1-0 win that leaves Arsenal high of the desk, proper up till the subsequent time they’re not.
This isn’t the top, so long as we are able to nonetheless say: that is the top. The title race will now tick down into the ultimate week of the season, which is a factor in itself given the would possibly of the Manchester Metropolis machine.
And, who is aware of? Tottenham, we hear, solely have one option to play. It’s simply not an excellent approach of late. Both approach Arsenal’s neighbours can nonetheless qualify for the Champions League. No person goes to need to lose to Metropolis on Tuesday night time. They simply most likely will.
Within the meantime this was a low-key, room temperature form of away win for Arsenal, an obligation discharged, one other date ticked off. For all Manchester United’s diffuse second-half vitality Arsenal have been at all times capable of maintain them at a distance, like an older brother laying a restraining palm on the brow whereas your arms wheel away, haymakers thrown, face flushed, by no means fairly in peril of touchdown.
There are other ways to win matches, not least within the canine days of the season. A kind of methods is to play Manchester United of their annual end-of-year existential disaster mode. One other is to win as Arsenal did right here, by trusting in your individual splendidly resilient defence, a basis laid during the last two years, and a line that by no means seemed like being damaged at Previous Trafford.
William Saliba particularly produced a efficiency that felt like a 90-minute celebration of his personal fantastic season, 37 video games and counting within the Premier League. He touched the ball 99 occasions, greater than anybody else on the pitch, accomplished 76 of his 84 passes, made 4 tackles, six clearances and gained three clear defensive headers.
There was even a second of cinema halfway by means of the second half as United roused themselves vaguely. Alejandro Garnacho discovered a lane of house and went haring in off the left. Saliba was the final man between Garnacho and David Raya. He waited, waited a bit longer, then produced a superbly balanced statement-tackle, the Bobby Moore, side-on, one foot left in, extracting the ball with surgical ease, preserving his steadiness, then romping away upfield.
This shouldn’t come as a shock. Arsenal’s central defence comprises two of the highest 4 least-dribbled-past defenders within the Premier League together with Virgil van Dijk and Ezri Konsa. It has been a formidable show of craft and consistency, not simply the final line, however one thing that impacts each different a part of the staff, the referred power of that human protect.
It was Saliba’s absence late on final season that coincided with Arsenal’s relative collapse within the remaining knocking. This staff could or could not find yourself profitable a title. However it is a champion defensive partnership, and nonetheless in its prime years.
As for Manchester United, they have been good at occasions, even oddly carefree. Amad Diallo is a stunning dribbler, so slick along with his change of ft. Presumably there are superb the reason why a participant this gifted doesn’t get extra probabilities in a staff this constipated.
Sofyan Amrabat, Jonny Evans, Diallo and Scott McTominay is certainly a listing {of professional} footballers. However this was certainly one of the vital hurled collectively, cut-and-paste Manchester United XIs of the Premier League period. Casemiro was as soon as once more moonlighting in central defence. United did nonetheless have £86m of expertise on the bench. Sadly all of that £86m was Antony.
Ultimately it was United’s personal horribly depleted defence that determined the sport. The tactic appeared to be: shield Casemiro in any respect prices. Out of possession United fell right into a defensive double-pivot (in entrance of Casemiro), and in entrance of that one other hustling, urgent double-pivot within the form of McTominay-Højlund (additionally in entrance of Casemiro). By no means thoughts the objective. We shield Casemiro. Perhaps André Onana might even have stood in entrance of him.
And but the one objective after 20 minutes was nonetheless primarily Casemiro’s fault. This was horrible defending. The Brazilian got here jogging out as United cleared the ball, then discovered himself stranded behind each different crimson shirt as Arsenal stole it again. This wasn’t a scarcity of tempo. It was a scarcity of bothering to maneuver. Even sluggish operating is operating, and sluggish operating would have been sufficient right here.
Kai Havertz would later inform Sky Sports activities that he noticed Casemiro nonetheless in there and shouted to Ben White for the move. After which Havertz simply did the issues he does today, skating to the byline and pulling again the right go-on-then move to fulfill Leandro Trossard’s run between a line of static crimson shirts.
And that was just about that. If Arsenal are to lose the league now the plain trigger and impact will likely be these three weeks in December after they dropped 11 factors throughout 5 video games and the gamers simply seemed spent. For now Metropolis go to Spurs on Tuesday, after which host West Ham on Sunday. Shut your eyes and it’s virtually a cliffhanger. One that may, no matter occurs now, run to the top.