Corner kings Arsenal back in title hunt after punishing Man Utd

‘Set piece again ole, ole’ sang the Arsenal fans as they mocked the opposition and the sheer ridiculousness of their dominance from deadball situations. Jurrien Timber with his first for the club and William Saliba’s first of the season won the match for a team that came into the match having already scored more goals from corners than any other team in the Premier League. That number of goals from corners is now 22.

New United boss Amorim, who masterminded two draws against Arsenal when he was in charge of Sporting, knew what was coming, and so did his players. All their opponents do. But when the balls are delivered so well by Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, they are almost unplayable. No team comes close to Arsenal and their set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover.

Do not be misled into thinking Manchester United were unlucky for the margin of victory was no more than Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal deserved. United’s only ambition was to frustrate their free-scoring opponents and it worked a treat until Timber headed in from a 54th minute Rice corner. United had only just recorded their first attempt on target before Saliba used his backside to help a Thomas Partey header over the line from a 73rd minute corner.

Arsenal came into the match reeling from the loss of half of their defence, with both Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori failing to recover from injuries sustained in the weekend win at West Ham. Replacements Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko hardly inspired calm as the left had side of the Arsenal defence based on recent form.

The return of Partey alongside Rice in midfield, tucked in behind the mastery of Martin Odegaard gave Arsenal a stronger look than United in midfield. Gabriel Martinelli was preferred to Leandro Trossard in attack, where Kai Havertz was making his 50th appearance since signing from Chelsea.

Another former Chelsea man, Mason Mount, made a rare start for United as Amorim went through with his threat to rotate. Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee were all named as substitutes. If only Amorim could have waited to see Arsenal’s weaknesses before naming his defence-first side.

United’s run coming into this match was one defeat in 12, unbeaten in Amorim’s three matches, so hardly panic stations for the visitors. What should have been of concern was their defending early on, allowing Partey a free header at a ninth minute corner for example. Gabriel would have been odds on to score had the same chance fallen to him.

United sat deep and looked to catch Arsenal on the break; not the swashbuckling play Amorim’s club has been known for over the years in a fixture that was first played in 1894. Probably sensible against a team that had scored 13 goals in the previous three matches.

The aim was to frustrate Arteta and his men into making errors, but there was an element of risk in inviting Arsenal on. Left-back Noussair Mazraoui got caught in possession a couple of times and Arsenal passed their way forward to largely threaten at set pieces.

The driving wind and rain made Amorim’s task a little easier as Arsenal struggled to move the ball quickly and their support grew frustrated with their side’s inability to create against the hardworking United low block. By the time referee Sam Barratt blew for the break, the ground was virtually silent. A masterclass by Amorim, even though they had not recorded a shot on target for the first time this season.

Arteta sent Rice into a more advanced position for the start of the second half as Arsenal upped the ante. Their more aggressive approach resulted in a chance for Martinelli and Rice. United started time-wasting to successfully slow them down again.

There's not much you can do to stop Arsenal from a corner, however. Rice whipped the ball into the near post from the right and Timber glanced the ball past a stranded Onana. Had Partey been similarly alert at the start of the first half it could have been Arsenal’s second. Now United had to change tactics as Amorim made a triple substitution, sending on forwards Rashford and Zirkzee. Big-money summer signing defender Leny Yoro came on too.

Now, for the last half an hour or so, we had a match and an atmosphere to go with it. Zirkzee’s first touch was nearly an own goal trying to defend another Rice corner. He was bailed out om the line by the alert Manuel Ugarte.

Amad had a bigger impact at the other end, winning a foul on the edge of the area by wriggling past Zinchenko. Fernandes clipped the dead ball in towards Matthijs de Ligt and David Raya saved his side with a full stretch one-handed palm away. A solid stop in any circumstance, more impressive by virtue of being the first time he had been called on all night. Quality.

And with it went United’s last real chance of making a mark on this game. Amorim has a lot of work to do and so do his players ahead of their weekend visit of Nottingham Forest. Arsenal, meanwhile, are back in the hunt and now go to Fulham on Sunday full of confidence 

ARSENAL: Raya 7, Timber 8, Saliba 8, Kiwior 7, Zinchenko 6 (Merino 71), Partey 6, Rice 6, Odegaard 8 ( Jorginho 90), Martinelli 6 (Trossard 71), Saka 6, Havertz 6. Subs: Neto, Tierney, Heaven, Nwaneri, Sterling, Jesus.

MAN UTD: Onana 7; Mazraoui 7, De Ligt 6, Maguire 6 (Yoro 58); Dalot 6, Ugarte 7, Fernandes 6, Malacia 6 (Amad 46); Mount 6 (Rashford 58), Garnacho 6 (Zirkzee 68); Hojlund 6 ( Antony 70). Subs: Bayindir, Kukonki, Casemiro, Eriksen.

Ref: Sam Barratt 6