Manchester United trumped Arsenal 3-2 at Old Trafford even after fielding a much-depleted team. Marcus Rashford scored a brace and Ander Herrera scored the third goal for the host.
On the other hand, Danny Welbeck scored the first goal for Gunners after going two-down courtesy of Rashford's two-goals. Ozil then scored the second goal for his team in the 69th minute to reduce the deficit after Herrera had given United a two-goal lead in the 65th minute.
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Here are the player ratings of the Premier League clash:
Manchester United
David de Gea – (6.5/10)
The Spanish shot-stopper started well as he saved an early shot from Monreal. However, he was helpless to stop Welbeck and Ozil from the scoring the two goals for visit
Guillermo Varela – (8/10)
The Uruguayan was at his brilliant best. He played in some awesome crosses, one of them led to Rashford’s opening goal. His defensive work was also very good.
Michael Carrick – (6.5/10)
Carrick was not brilliant but, he paired up well with Blind to keep the Arsenal attacks at bay. He also played some good passes forward.
Daley Blind – (7.5/10)
The Dutchman was very cool and composed at the back of United defence. He held the ball well and made a couple of great last-ditch clearances.
Marcos Rojo – (6.5/10)
Rojo could’ve done better to restrict Welbeck, who scored the first goal for Arsenal. All in all, he had a decent outing but was forced off due to an injury.
Morgan Schneiderlin – (8.5/10)
Schneiderlin’s reading of the game was impeccable as he bossed the midfield. He made a number of vital interceptions and tackles to keep Arsenal at bay.
Ander Herrera – (9/10)
Herrera’s elegant link-up play with Mata was just brilliant. He did great doing forward and his passes ripped apart Gunners defence. He also did great to find space in the hole outside the box as Rashford’s cut back found him and his shot struck Koscielny and went into the net.
Jesse Lingard – (8/10)
Lingard’s defensive work was commendable and his link-up play with Varela troubled Monreal a lot. He also gave an assist as his cross was headed into the net by Rashford in the 32nd minute to double United’s lead.
Juan Mata – (9/10)
The diminutive Spaniard ran rings around Gunners defence. His partnership with Herrera wreaked havoc in Arsenal’s final third and the midfield duo of Coquelin and Ramsey had no answer to his elegant skills and impeccable passing.
Memphis Depay – (7.5/10)
Memphis looked lively from the start. Though he failed to make any decisive passes, he troubled Bellerin on the flanks and helped his teammates thrive. He also let fly from long range on a couple of occasions, but none of those shots found the back of net.
Marcus Rashford – (10/10)
Two goals and an assist in his Premier League debut against Arsenal in front of a packed Old Trafford. Need we say more?
He struck a powerful shot for the first goal, which Cech failed to thwart, then struck an awesome header for the second goal and then he set up Herrera brilliantly after fending off Gabriel.
Substitutes:
Timothy Fosu-Mensah – (6/10)
He was brought on for Rojo in the 55th minute. He was defensively astute and did not look jittery on the ball.
Adnan Januzaj – (N/A)
He was brought on for Rashford in the 80th minute.
James Weir – (N/A)
He was brought on for Herrera in the 94th minute.
Arsenal
Petr Cech – (6/10)
Cech did not have a good match by any stretch of imagination. Though he was unlucky when Herrera’s shot struck Koscielny and went into the net, he failed to stop United from scoring two more goals past him and winning the match.
Hector Bellerin – (6/10)
The fullback was not at his ‘pacy’ best. He made few runs forward but was not able to trouble the United defence and he was not defensively up to the mark as well.
Gabriel Paulista – (5.5/10)
The central defender was not able to trouble the United attackers whatsoever. Rashford and Mata made him dance to their tunes.
Laurent Koscielny – (6/10)
He was responsible for United’s third goal as Herrera’s shot ricocheted off him and went into the goal. He tried his best to keep the United attackers at bay but was not able to do so.
Nacho Monreal – (6.5/10)
Monreal missed an early chance as De Gea saved his effort from close-range. He did well to link up with Alexis on the left but Lingard and Varela made sure that they guard the flanks properly.
Francis Coquelin – (6.5/10)
Coquelin’s was an average outing. While his work-rate was good, he failed to keep Mata quiet who bossed Arsenal’s final third. He was taken off for Elneny in the 70th minute.
Aaron Ramsey – (6/10)
Ramsey failed to impose his authority in the midfield. He made some good runs forward but all his hard work went in vain.
Theo Walcott – (1/10)
The winger’s performance was pathetic, to say the least. He was nowhere to be seen for majority of the time he was on the pitch. He was taken off for Olivier Giroud in the 63rd minute.
Mesut Ozil – (7.5/10)
Ozil started the match slowly but stepped up with the progression of the match. His nicely played free kick freed Welbeck for Arsenal’s first goal, this was his 18th assist of the season. He also scored the second goal for Gunners, a brilliant shot into the ground which bounced off the pitch and evaded De Gea into the back of the net.
Alexis Sanchez – (6.5/10)
Sanchez, who has still not found the touch since his return from injury, was not able to pose much trouble to Varela on the left flank. He made some good runs with the ball to open up space for fellow attackers.
Danny Welbeck – (7.5/10)
Welbeck saw a lot of ball early on, he also opened the scoring for Arsenal with a deft header to the left of De Gea. His hold up play was decent as well, however, he failed to earn his team a win upon his return to Old Trafford.
Substitutes:
Olivier Giroud – (6/10)
Giroud was brought on for Walcott in the 63rd minute. He did not see much of the ball after coming on and was unable to pose any kind of threat to the United defence.
Mohamed Elneny – (5/10)
He came on for Coquelin in the 70th minute when Arsenal were chasing the game. However, he did not have much to do and he picked up a yellow card as well in his brief spell on the pitch.
Alex Iwobi – (N/A)
Iwobi was brought on for Welbeck in the 83rd minute.
