Reaction and analysis
Match report and ratings
Right, that’s it from me. Thanks for your emails and tweets. Stick around for all the reports and reaction but from me, cheerio!
Here’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: “We take a point. We were 1-0 down, we came back, the team fought very well. It’s always hard to come here.
“It’s not easy when you concede just before half-time but we had great spirit in the second half.
“I was sure that I was not offside so I just try to finish as usual.”
Here’s Daniel Taylor’s match report from Old Trafford:
9 - Manchester United's haul of nine points from their opening seven league games is their lowest at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1989-90 (7). Flat. #MUNARS
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 30, 2019
So Arsenal move up to fourth while Manchester United are 10th, already 12 points behind Liverpool at the top.
Peep! Peeeep!! PEEEEEEEEP!!! So it finishes 1-1. The second half was better than the first but you’d have to say the game as a whole was exactly what it was: a battle between two teams who will finish between fifth and eighth.
90+5 min: … Ceballos’s delivery is poor and that is that.
90+4 min: Nelson wins a free-kick on the right edge of the United area …
90+3 min: Willock and Nelson combine neatly and the latter scuffs what was presentable chance on the edge of the box.
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90+1 min: … WHAT A SAVE! A fine full-length stop from Leno denies Rashford.
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90 min: Brilliant surge from McTominay, who has been very good this evening. David Luiz upends him right on the edge of the box as we tick into added time …
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89 min: United are finishing on the front foot here. McTominay’s shot is blocked on the edge of the box.
87 min: Horrible mistake by Young in midfield which allows Willock to break. He pulls back to Ceballos, whose shot is wide and wild.
85 min: … which in turn forces a scramble at the near post and another corner. Which is cleared.
84 min: Arsenal force a corner …
82 min: Pogba slings in a viciously curling cross from deep which Leno grabs just ahead of Rashford.
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80 min: Another Arsenal sub: Willock replaces Saka.
79 min: … hoiked to the back post, scrambled clear by Arsenal, walloped into the stands by Fred.
78 min: James wriggles through and wins another corner …
76 min: Greenwood gets clonked by Xhaka, who gets a booking for his trouble.
74 min: … which comes to nothing. Ch-ch-ch-changes: Lingard and Pereira for Fred and Greenwood. And Nelson for the ineffective Pepe.
73 min: Maguire lashes a shot from distance and Leno tips over acrobatically. United corner …
72 min: Maguire does well to scoop a dinked free-kick back into the danger area but it drops to an Arsenal defender. This is now A Good Game.
71 min: Rashford shoots across goal … it should be a corner but a goal kick is given. Though that corner McTominay should’ve scored from should have been a goal kick. So, you know. Swings and roundabouts.
69 min: … which Young swings in and should be buried by McTominay, five yards out. Somehow he heads over.
68 min: James, who has been a real bright spot for United, wins a corner …
66 min: Guendouzi does really well on the edge of the Arsenal box, fighting several fires and eventually winning a free-kick off Lingard, who goes into the book.
64 min: Just wide from Pogba! James’s shot is blocked on the edge of the box, but the ball breaks loose for Pogba who curls his effort just the wrong side of the post.
62 min: That’s a victory for VAR I guess. It was a terrible decision from the assistant referee, though there is a slight suggestion that United’s defenders had stopped at the sight of the flag. Not that they were in a position to do anything about Aubameyang’s shot. So, all in all, the right outcome.
60 min: And Arsenal should be ahead. Saka misses a glorious opportunity from 10 yards out, his shot deflected wide.
GOAL! Man Utd 1-1 Arsenal (Aubameyang 59)
And it’s given. Aubameyang is yards onside. Tuanzebe gives the ball away horribly to Saka, who pops it straight through to Aubameyang. He lifts the ball over De Gea and Arsenal are level.
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59 min: Arsenal have the ball in the net but the flag goes up. Off to VAR we go!
58 min: “Well, I was thinking about ambling around to the pub for the second half,” writes Matt Dony. “After reading about the first half, I haven’t bothered. Which, of course, means that the last half hour or so will probably turn into the greatest match in history. If it does, you can all thank me!”
57 min: Guendouzi makes a vital interception with Rashford closing in. Much livelier so far, this second half.
55 min: Hmm. Well the ball certainly hit Kolasinac on the arm but hey ho. Ceballos replaces Torreira for Arsenal, a bit of artistry replacing the Uruguayan’s grit.
54 min: Arsenal are asleep at a short corner … the ball bobbles up and hits Kolasinac … on the arm? VAR says: “Nothing to see here.”
52 min: Better from Arsenal now, though it’s not easy to see exactly what the plan is. Their best moments have come when Aubameyang has pulled wide – such as this one, when he pops a cross in to Torreira, who really should do better with a volley from close range.
51 min: … worked short and eventually lofted in by Aubameyang but De Gea claims comfortably.
50 min: The Gunners force a corner in front of the travelling fans …
48 min: United dominate the ball at the start of the second period. Arsenal look a little flat.
46 min: “The fact is that for the goal Xhaka quite literally ducks his captain responsibilities,” honks Graham Fulcher. To be fair, I think he’s trying to head it. He makes an unholy mess of it but that’s neither here not there.
Peep! Off we go again then. This has to be better than the first half. Surely.
Half-time email dept.
“The goal seems to have come from a different match,” writes Charles Antaki. “The quality otherwise was that of a sitcom three years past its peak and reduced to physical humour of the least amusing kind, pratfalls included, performed by actors who don’t much like each other or the script. New stage directions please.
“Before the game I thought this one would be terribly interesting,” writes JR in Illinois. “The goal notwithstanding (which I didn’t think was all that good anyway) so far it’s not at all interesting but it sure is terrible. This game stinks to high heaven.”
Half-time: Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal
PEEEEP! A drab half ends with United taking the lead in unexpected fashion. Generally it’s been scrappy and low quality but things picked up just before the break. Let’s hope that carries on in the second period.
45+1 min: Well, I don’t think anyone saw that coming. James did brilliantly on the break, his cross just evading Rashford. The England striker, though, kept the ball alive and pulled it back to the edge of the box where McTominay took a touch and fired home, via a slight touch of Sokratis.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (McTominay 45)
Crikey! What a strike this is! The Scotland midfielder lashes one in to the top corner from the edge of the box.
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44 min: Fine double save from De Gea keeps it at 0-0. Pereira slips as Arsenal break – Saka’s first shot is parried superbly and Guendouzi’s follow-up is blocked at the near post.
42 min: Pogba shrugs Guendouzi off the ball and sends Rashford through. The forward, though, looks a little tentative and defenders get back to smother the danger.
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41 min: Young clatters Guendouzi (who has been in the wars this half) and goes into the book. Four yellows so far.
40 min: Pogba is loose with his control. Again. But he’s hardly been alone this half.
38 min: It’s always nice to be surrounded by friends. But here we’ve got a Friend being surrounded. Pepe and McTominay clash in midfield and the referee gives the free-kick Arsenal’s way – cue protestations – before changing his mind (correctly).
36 min: Arsenal get a shot on target away. Aubameyang finds Pepe at the back post but De Gea gathers his weak shot.
35 min: Pogba, looking a little rusty, gives the ball away and Arsenal quickly hand it back.
34 min: From the free-kick, Xhaka dinks the ball over the defensive line but it’s pretty aimless and unthreatening. A breakdown in communication perhaps.
32 min: Pereira sends Guendouzi flying and goes into the book as Arsenal get on the front foot.
30 min: And another. It’s Pépé this time. It’s hopeless but it still counts. He’s in a decent amount of space on the corner of the United box but wangs his effort way over the bar.
29 min: What’s this? A SHOT! Pereira skitters forward, angling his run in from the right and getting defenders backpeddling. David Luiz is beaten with aplomb but his shot from the edge of the box is smartly stopped by Leno.
27 min: Rashford joins Chambers in the book after sliding in slightly wildly on Sokratis.
27 - There have been no shots in the opening 27 minutes of #MUNARS, the longest wait for a first attempt in a single @premierleague game this season. Stale.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 30, 2019
25 min: The good news is that the rain seems to have eased a touch. I’m not sure we can blame the weather for the lack of goalmouth action but we’ve got to lay the responsibility somewhere …
24 min: Pepe completely wastes a free-kick on the left, looping the ball miserably out of play.
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23 min: Halfway through the first half and neither keeper has had to make a save. In fact, no one has had a shot yet. Not a one.
22 min: Leno gathers James’s low cross after a nice but of work from McTominay in midfield.
20 min: Players from both sides surround Kevin Friend: Arsenal players want Lingard booked for pulling back Saka; United’s are eager to point out that their should’ve been a handball against Guendouzi just prior to Saka’s break. Neither set of players seem particularly satisfied by Friend’s response.
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18 min: Tuanzebe calmly and confidently deals with a dangerous through-ball under pressure. He’s started well.
16 min: James again runs at Chambers but this time his touch is too loose and the Arsenal man can deal with the situation. Pretty clear what United’s plan is at the moment – get the ball to Daniel James and ask him to run at the Arsenal defence.
14 min: Kolasinac charges forward into space and looks to curl a pass into the danger area. He does … but his teammates aren’t on the same wavelength and De Gea can collect with little bother.
12 min: McTominay and Pogba are getting the better of Arsenal’s midfield trio thus far.
10 min: Chambers goes into Kevin Friend’s Big Book Of Very Naughty Boys for a pulling back Daniel James. It’s 2-0 to the United winger so far.
9 min: … slung deep to Maguire, who wins the header but Rashford can’t bring the loose ball under his spell.
8 min: James gets a chance to run at Chambers and gets the better of his man. David Luiz blocks the low cross – corner to United …
6 min: It’s been a bit of a scrappy start, with United enjoying most of the ball but things all a little untidy.
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5 min: … which comes to nothing.
4 min: Xhaka takes a quick free-kick looking long for Chambers flying forward. Tuanzebe nods behind for an Arsenal corner …
2 min: The rain continues to hammer down at Old Trafford. Guendouzi gives away the first free-kick of the evening with a trip on McTominay.
1 min: Interestingly Tuanzebe has started at left-back for United, with Ashley Young switching to the right.
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Peep! Off we go then. Arsenal, in yellow, get us under way.
The players are in the tunnel … handshakes, hugs and smiles seem to be the order of the day rather than angry words and jabbing fingers. Ashley Young and Arsenal’s newly-confimed full-time captain Granit Xhaka lead the teams out.
A bit of pre-match Ole: “It’s two good attacking teams. We have to stamp our authority on the game. Getting the first goal is always important in these games.”
Roy Keane is on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football for the first time. He’s been reminiscing about his rivalry with Patrick Vieira and some of those classic Arsenal-Manchester United meetings – and he’s been great in all honesty. He’s much better on these topics than he is in Old-Man-Shouts-At-Cloud mode.
I should point out as I made an error in the team lineups earlier: Maitland-Niles is not suspended; he’s on the bench having served his one-match ban in midweek.
A bit of pre-match stattage: Bukayo Saka, at 18 years and 25 days old, is the youngest player ever to start in this fixture in the (apologies) “Premier League era”. Axel Tuanzebe, meanwhile, hasn’t started a game for Manchester United since May 2017.
Ozil might quickly become the hill Emery lives or dies on. Start him in PL; rest him from EL to keep him fresh for PL; drop him from PL and make him skipper for Carabao; drop him for PL again. Just doesn't add up at all.
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) September 30, 2019
A bit of pre-match Unai. He’s asked about the absence of Mesut Ozil. “Not today!” he says of the Germany midfielder, which is as goos an answer as any I suppose.
Weather watch: it’s hammering it down at Old Trafford.
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The teams
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Tuanzebe, Lindelof, Maguire, Young; McTominay, Pogba; Andreas Pereira, Lingard, James; Rashford. Subs: Romero, Rojo, Williams, Fred, Mata, Matic, Greenwood.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Leno; Chambers, Sokratis, David Luiz, Kolasinac; Guendouzi, Xhaka, Torreira; Pepe, Aubameyang, Saka. Subs: Martinez, Maitland-Niles, Holding, Ceballos, Willock, Nelson, Martinelli
Referee: Kevin Friend
So two changes for Arsenal – Chambers and Torreira for Maitland-Niles and Ceballos (who are both on the bench). As expected, Rashford and Pogba are both passed fit for United, which means Mason Greenwood drops to the bench. No Wan-Bissaka for United, so Axel Tuanzebe is in at right-back.
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A bit of pre-match reading:
Here’s Jonathan Wilson on the malaise at Manchester United: “It may be that a squad this piecemeal, patched together from the remnants of four very different managers’ inclinations under a board that has demonstrated little in the way of football expertise, makes the act of management almost impossible …”
And here’s Nick Ames on tonight’s game: “Anyone still tuning in for the spit and snarl of the 1990s and 2000s – the bust-ups involving Schmeichel, Wright, Keane, Vieira, Keown, Van Nistelrooy, Fàbregas, a pizza buffet, Wenger and Ferguson – will be short-changed.”
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Preamble
Hello all. And welcome to what could be a wet and wild night in Manchester and this clash between perhaps the two most interesting teams in the Premier League right now.
Of course, being interesting isn’t necessarily a good thing. There are strains of fungal infection that are presumably extremely interesting (to some) but that doesn’t mean you want to get intimately involved with them. Or follow their progress through thick and thin over nine months.
Manchester United have won one in five Premier League games since the opening day of the season. Indeed since that stunning win over PSG in Paris back in March, their league record reads: P15 W4 D4 L7 Pts16 which is in many ways, I’m sure you’ll agree, a far more interesting record than when they were winning all those titles in the 90s. Perhaps only Marco Silva at Everton looks on thinner ice than Ole Gunnar Solskjær, who is hamstrung by injuries this evening.
Unai Emery’s Arsenal, meanwhile, are something of a footballing fruit machine at the moment, at times paying out gloriously, at times so frustrating you just want to pour your pint over them and find something else to do.
Kick-off is 8pm BST.
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