ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL WIN FROM US! Man UTD 0-1 Arsenal Reaction

Professional performance. Arsenal won, Manchester United nil, Man Utd nil, Arsenal won. 1-0 to the Arsenal is a famous chant for a reason. Now again people, we've got a great top six record and that continued today and it was an emotional rollercoaster. Now that everything has kind of calmed down. In terms of quality, clearly not the most feistiest of encounters historically between these two sides. Clearly not the best game in terms of quality and I actually like that because Manchester United are an emotional side under Eric Ten Hag. Whether they win, lose or draw, there's a regular theme in that it's an entertaining game for the neutrals. We took the emotion out of that. They always used to say with our football club, and again disclaimer, just because we've won doesn't mean we can't look at potential areas that we could have done better. We've got the three points we enjoyed today and hopefully Spurs or West Ham make City drop points because we're kind of at both clubs' mercy. It doesn't mean we can't look back at things we could have done better. But for years people said Arsenal can't win ugly, we can't grind out performances, we can't do this, we can't do that. We've done that today and we've done that really and truly all 2024. We've had a blistering start to this year. What one defeat in the Premier League and it's just unfortunate that you're playing this juggernaut in Manchester City and this generational coach in Pep Guardiola. We'd probably be celebrating a Premier League title. So yeah, it caps off our last top six game. We've had a terrific record against the top six. We've been unbeaten against the top six. I don't even think that will happen next year. Obviously, clean sheet. William Saliba, man of the match. Mustard today. Saliba, Mustard, Rolls-Royce, did everything well. But I can't remember who he tackled. It might have been Gennaccio but that lovely kind of slide tackle that he did in the box, it just shows what a player he is. We weren't ugly. Fives and sixes generally for the whole team but I don't mean that in a bad way. We rocked up and we won. I'm not going to lie on reflection though. I would have liked to have seen Onana tested a lot more because we've got the ability to do that and really in the second half was the only times you went, oh, what a good save. I feel our decision making in the final third, if it was better, we'd probably have a lot more goals. I feel we was kind of wasteful on the ball at times. Several players getting caught on possession, giving the ball away cheaply, taking an extra touch where we don't need to, or the speed of thought, which has typically been there, hasn't been there today. Those are all things we could improve. But I'm just happy we got three points. I'm not going to lie to you lot. First three minutes in that game, I thought we might run riot. I did say, and I think a lot of people said, you're not going to get the United side that got brushed away against Crystal Palace. Considering the fact that United's team is quite depleted, I feel it was a more positive performance from them of recent. I think Diallo, the right winger, he did well. I think Kobe Maynard did all right. I think Diallo did all right. And we exploited a mistake from them. I don't care because it felt like one of those games, bar the first three minutes where he's going to run riot, it felt like one of those games, people, where both teams are going to give mistakes and concede. I didn't think we'd get a clean sheet because I just felt while we looked solid defensively, we just shoot ourselves in the foot. Shout out to David Ryer and Gabriel and Benjamin White in that regard. I think Havertz, apart from dropping into midfield where he's giving the ball away, I think he had a decent game. And big up to him for getting the assist. Obviously, you have to shout out Saliba for winning the ball. Onana's gone long. I think Saliba's won it. Benjamin White has found Havertz. Terrible phases of play from a United perspective. But Havertz has been found. He's found Trossart. Trossart's done what we needed to do, put the ball in the back of the net and we keep it moving. As I said on another date, I feel we could have. We've got the capacity to ask better questions. I feel we was quite wasteful. I feel at times, not that we was nervous or there was a bit of over-respect, but it felt like we might have been a bit nervous, might have had a bit too much over-respect, might have been a bit too much caution. Thomas Partey has been great since he's come back, but I think he dropped, by his own standards, a stinker. As I said, farlier cake to Saliba, 20 out of 10. But I think in a positive way, fives and sixes for the team. We did what we needed to do, man. Early doors, it did feel ironically, and I said it in my watch along, that we would score from the right-hand side, their left, because Johnny Evans is giving it away. He was one of their better players, but he's giving it away. So indirectly, the goal kind of came from there. I think everyone's heart dropped to a part. He tried to drop his shoulder and he got caught, but Benjamin White got caught unneeded on the ball. Saka, Partey, Declan Rice's decision-making when we bursted forward. I don't think the decision-making from everyone was quite there, but the three points is all that matters. We might not win this league title, I say might not, small optimism, and fans will banter us of bottling and things, but going into this recent run where we've got Man Utd, Spurs, Chelsea, the rival fans were congregating, and they want to be the ones to say they spoil our day. It's not that thing. If everything do fair enough, but we've come through that. We've had a great 2024. I do think we're going to look back at that period. Obviously, the start of the year coincided with how going to Dubai and looking good, but I do think the end of 2023 is where we shot ourselves in the foot. Many people, rightly so, would say, you know what, the Aston Villa game is where you couldn't have lost. It was our first loss of this year, better yet, and it's come at the wrong time. I do agree because the second half, even when we've won games, we've been a mixed bag. If we've been good in the first, we've been better in the second, etc., and I think that has been a theme, but I do think we'll look back at that December period. Newcastle away, Aston Villa home in a way, better yet. West Ham at home, definitely should have got three points there. Fulham home in a way. Chelsea away, we shot ourselves in the foot. Spurs at the Emirates, it's harsh, but you have to chase perfection and it's impossible to get there, but the margins are fine. Had we just picked up an extra three or so points, look at the seat we would be in right now with a game left and it all to play for. I want a trophy. We're flirting with success. Everything is geared towards winning certain things. I'm not really just happy to compete, but compared to last year, we've run it to the last day. This time last year, it was wrapped up. We bottled it already. We wasn't on it, so we've run it to the last day. Obviously, I expect City to wipe the floor with Spurs and ironically, I think they'll beat Spurs. I actually think West Ham might do something against them if the league's not wrapped up by then. Mathematically, I don't think it can. My only hope would be West Ham because it's David Moyes' last game. That's your former manager ringing the favours. In fact, Pep Guardiola is your big brother, bro. Tell him, allow it now. You've done trebles, 100 points, won stuff in Barca, in Spain, in Germany, in England. Allow us, man. We need this. You let Klopp win the trophy. Just let us get this Prem trophy. Do what you want to do next year. I know you want to four-peat, but allow it, man. Back to the game, man. I did feel at times in the first half we looked semi-rattled. We looked a bit nervous at the back, as my notes say here. Obviously, we took advantage of them giving us the ball. I like that. If you want us to play football and make it an entertaining game, we can do that, but we can take the emotion out of it and stink up the place. I know United haven't got their players. They're not in the best form. There's a lot of issues, but I'm not going to say I'm ever confident with an opposition having the ball and knocking it side to side on the edge of our area, but because we've improved so much defensively, I'm kind of all right with that per se. I did think we had to live in our own half in the first half a bit too much. I, therefore, thought we might concede. I, therefore, felt maybe Mikel Arteta could have taken off Saka prior to when he came off, but we did what needed to be done, man. At half-time, as I said, I think we needed to wake up. I think we need to play with a lot more intensity. I think we're giving the ball away cheaply at times. We did look at the element of being lethargic. I needed to see asking questions of Onana, but obviously, in hindsight, we've now seen that. I did feel the first three minutes, it looked like we might run riot. Then it was a kind of a mixed bag. When we scored, it looked like it gave us an energy boost. We went up a level, people, and then shortly after that, we kind of reverted back to tight. At half-time, they had eight shots, none on target, 55% of the ball, which you can say dominated the statistics. We're Arsenal fans. How many times for years, to a degree under Arteta, definitely under Arsene Wenger, we would dominate for shots, for shots on target, for possession, apart from what matters, which is putting the ball in the back of the net and hanging on to three points. I won't trade places with Man Utd. I know Bayern Munich have gone out of the Champions League, but I feel definitely the first leg and the second, I think we were the better team, if I'm honest with you. They just made the moments count. I'm saying we were the better team against Bayern. They went through. Whose position would you rather be in? Football's a results-driven business. We're showing we can put results together, win ugly, and just keep it moving. So, in the second half, you're sitting there, and again, second half, we've been a bit of a mixed bag. I want to see us get a goal, a second goal, obviously, to live a bit more comfortably if we can. You don't want to see them concede. You just want to see us look after the ball a bit better. Just take it up the gears, people. So, ultimately, I did think there were elements of that in the second half, really and truly. We did our thing. I think Riyad did a good job in stinging out the game. I do think everybody had a collective improvement in the second half. Again, there were some opportunities throughout the game for both sides. There's an element of us quite lucky United haven't got cut an edge because we could have presented them with some goals. I feel we could have exploited them, but all in all, we're rocking up at a ground where we struggle at, let's be honest. Statistically, what we've won prior to this game, now we've won two out of 17. We're going into this game out of our games at Old Trafford. We've only won one of the last 16 in the Premier League, losing 10 and drawing five. Unacceptable. It's a ground which is a hoodoo ground. And after not winning at Anfield in the Etihad, the least we could do is win here, which we've done that. So, there's no complaints there, people. In fact, in the last 15 years, we've won fewer points at Old Trafford than at the Etihad or Anfield. So, it is a ground that despite the fact that I've seen my team win the league there, we're in issues. Come the end of the game, Man Utd had 14 shots, two on target, 55% of the ball and four corners. We had 11 shots, five on target, 45% of the ball, 430 passes to their 513. We had seven corners to their four. Ultimately, we scored a goal and did what they failed to do, and we got the three points. So, we won ugly. There's many things, as I said, that we could do better and improve upon, and I'm sure Arteta will bang that on, but it's a results-driven business. So, we've done what we can. We go down to the last day of the season, and we hope that the footballing gods are favourable to us and City drop points. Personally, I don't think they will. They've been in this territory before. I don't think Pep Guardiola will accept that, but it is what it is. 1-0 to the Arsenal. Going to watch the Manchester United fan channels and chill, really, and truly. Smash the like button. Let me know your thoughts on the game. Who would be your Man Utd match? For me, without a doubt, Saliba, head and shoulders above everybody. What do you make of this game? Do you think City will actually drop points? Let me know all your thoughts. Most importantly, stay safe, stay blessed. Peace.