Eddie Nketiah scored a brace to help Arsenal produce one of the high-scoring football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. With a great run and goal, Marcus Rashford handed United the early advantage. This was the forward’s ninth goal in nine games across all competitions since the World Cup ended, which is the most of any player in Europe’s top five leagues. Nketiah’s powerful close-range header gave Arsenal a quick equalizer, making it 18 goals in his previous 26 starts for the team. Bukayo Saka’s long-range rocket kick gave Mikel Arteta’s team its first lead eight minutes into the second half.
Six minutes later, Lisandro Martinez netted his first goal for United, leveling the game once more. The Argentine World Cup champion capitalized on Aaron Ramsdale’s oversight to float a header into the goal. The roof came off the Emirates after a tense check for offside by the video assistant referee. But there was late, late drama when Nketiah tapped home Martin Odegaard’s mishit shot, furthering his scoring figures.
This was a matchup of the top two Premier League teams, and it showed in a thrilling game in the capital that was reminiscent of some of the intense title matches these bitter rivals used to regularly play in the late 1990s and early 2000s. United was placed under intense early pressure by the league leaders but managed to withstand it and eventually open the goal after 17 minutes. United was without the expertise of crucial Brazil-holding midfielder Casemiro because he was suspended. The English forward nutmegged Thomas Partey before firing a 25-yard shot into the bottom left corner of the net. The home team recklessly misplaced the ball, allowing Rashford to pick it up midway inside the hosts’ half.
That advantage only lasted for seven minutes as Arsenal pounced on their rivals. Granit Xhaka’s exquisite left-wing center was headed in with perfection by another in-form England forward, Nketiah, who was unmarked at the far post. The opening 45 minutes went by quickly, with both teams coming close to regaining the lead. However, it was the Gunners who struck next, electrifying the Emirates, when Saka cut in from the right wing and sent a low shot past David de Gea’s outstretched hand in the 53rd minute.
But the visitors rallied back in this action-packed back-and-forth match, and the usually dependable Ramsdale was at fault when the keeper palmed a corner straight to Martinez, who then managed to somehow loop a header over Gabriel on the line and into the goal. The home team, who gave Leandro Trossard his second-half debut, pushed hard for a winner in the final period, but De Gea’s brilliance and the outside of the post, which stopped Saka from adding a second, along with Nketiah’s late intervention in one of the games of the season initially kept them at bay.
“Emotional. a lot of enthusiasm. a lot of excellence. There are few things better than that. It was amazing how well we performed throughout the game, especially in the second half, especially after playing that team in the derby away from home. It’s even better to win in that manner,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “We were very emotionally and mentally stable, in my opinion. but at the same time, incredibly driven. We played the game incredibly well, never panicked, never gave up, kept doing the right things even better than before, and felt that we could win in the end. Despite numerous opportunities to score in the box where we displayed the proper poise, we were fortunate enough to score the game-winning goal in the final play.”
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