Arsenal 3-0 Manchester United - 5 Talking Points

Ozil pulled the strings for ArsenalArsenal wins their first game at Emirates since November 2009 against Manchester United 3-0 courtesy a brace from Alexis Sanchez. An early barrage by the home team in the first 20 minutes blew away Louis van Gaals side.Mesut Ozil was the master orchestrator as he pulled the strings in the hole between midfield and Theo Walcott. This win propels Arsenal into second place splitting the Manchester clubs in the top 3. Here are the five talking points from this lopsided encounter.

#1 Petr Cech shows his class

Cech was instrumental in Arsenal keeping a well-deserved clean sheet

There was a lot of buzz regarding Petr Cech in thebuild-up to this fixture. And all the hype around that was perfectly justified as the Czech shot-stopper left his mark in this historic win.

The outfield players rightfully did their jobs with some panache but what made all the difference for the Gunners was the experience and calm of Petr Cech. The 32-year-old stopper led his defence with some authority which has been a missing feature in this Arsenal side since the days of legendary David Seaman. He commanded the penalty box with his soothing persona, which rubbed off on his fellow defenders as well.

One thing which made all the difference was the telling saves which he made especially off Anthony Martial right at the end of the first half. If Arsenal had conceded during that period of play, it might have been a long second half for the home team. The former Chelsea keeper also kept the early barrage of Uniteds attack at bay with his smart goalkeeping.

There were opinions about Cech being the X-factor for Arsene Wenger in his bid to end the title drought. Well after tonights performance those opinions have just got a lot more credibility.

#2 Wayne Rooney\'s woeful form continues.

Rooney's form is a big concern for Man United

United were simply lackadaisical in the first half and their half-hearted attempt to reclaim the match is not even worth talking about. But one thing which is hurting the Reds is the worrisome form of their captain.

Wayne Rooney has looked a pale shadow of himself throughout this season. The England captain seems jaded and also out of sync with the rest of his teammates. His work ethic and ability to lead his side is exemplary, but his contribution to the teams attack is an antithesis of his leadership qualities.

Tonight, too, he was simply pedestrian in the final third. He kept giving away the ball way too cheaply and also he looked devoid of ideas when it came to opening up the defense. He is Uniteds chief playmaker and he is looking a long way off the mark from being one.

There is a clamour from the fans about dropping him from the starting XI. And considering his display this season, theyre not wrong either. If he was not the captain of this United side, there is no way that he would feature this heavily in the team with some quality players warming the bench.

Louis van Gaal has to take stock of this situation and act before its too late.

#3 Alexis Sanchez steps up, again!

Sanchez scored two brilliant goals to seal victory for his side

Alexis Sanchez hadnt scored a single goal for some 500 odd minutes till last week and now he has scored 5 goals in the last 160 minutes. The fatigue of early season it seems has been washed away and the Chilean is looking to have yet another scintillating season at Emirates.

He just blew Manchester Uniteds Matteo Darmian in the first half which led to both of his goals. The Italian simply had no answer to the pace and trickery of the Arsenals no.7. Sanchez not only scored two spectacular goals but also opened up Uniteds right-side which has been the strong side for the Reds.

Sanchez not only took Darmian to the cleaners but also negated the influence of an in-form Chris Smalling without breaking sweat, especially in the first half. Both of his goals came when cut inside from the right-side of Manchester United which testifies his supremacy over the duo.

Although Sanchezs influence did diminish a bit in the second half post the introduction of Antonio Valencia, the damage had already been done by then. More than Valencias introduction in the game it was Arsenals sharp drop in the intensity in the second half which led to his marginalization in the game.

One thing which cant be ignored from tonights game, that is Sanchez has begun to fire with all guns blazing and this very ominous for all the title contenders.

#4 Trouble down the left-side for United.

United were ineffective through the left wing

Ever since Luke Shaw has been ruled out due to the injury, Manchester Uniteds left-hand side has looked very vulnerable. Matteo Darmian looked quite stable,but doubts over the fitness of Antonio Valencia have worsened the matters for the Red Devils.

Ashley Young isnt a full-back by any means and this was very much evident today when he was picked out by the duo of Hector Bellerin and Aaron Ramsey. Bellerin, in particular, gave a hard time to the 30-year-old as he beat him fair and square every time both of them faced each other.

Young may have looked stable in the second half of the game, but the damage had already been done by then. Louis van Gaal has to figure a way out to sort his left side of defense if he wishes to have any positive returns in this tricky month of October, where United travel to Goodison Park and host high-flying neighbours in Manchester City.

Speaking of the left side, Memphis Depay had yet another anonymous big game as he was hauled off by the manager at the interval. The 21-year-old needs to adapt to the rigours of the league soon if he wishes to hold on to his place in the starting line-up.

#5 Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil work their charm

The creativity of Cazorla and Ozil was crucial in a dominant display

One of the main reasons which aided Arsenals early blitzkrieg was the guile and artistry of Santi Cazorla and Mesut Ozil. The German was the gloss of this Arsenal side while the Spaniard was the spine. Cazorla took the game to the Uniteds sluggish midfield in the early quarters of the game and this proved to be quite fruitful for them.

Uniteds midfield enforcers were left chasing shadows as they were either caught napping whilst in possession. The midfield duo of Carrick and Schweinsteiger were way too slow off the blocks and this played everything right into the Arsenals hands.

While the midfield was equally complimented by the defense as far as sluggishness is concerned for United. And this paved the way for Mesut Ozil to wreak havoc. Ozil used the pace of his fellow attackers to his advantage as he split open Uniteds rearguard almost at will for most of the game.

Alexis Sanchez may take all the headlines for this historic win, but tis wouldnt have been possible without some telling contribution from these two wizards of North London.