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With only one win in the last 15 games in all competitions for Arsenal, the odds were clearly in favour of Manchester United ahead of the kickoff. The Red Devils have won three out of their last five matches, while Mikel Arteta has drawn and lost his first two fixtures as the Arsenal manager.
The home team took a surprise lead through Nicolas Pepe, who scored the club's first goal of the decade. Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Torreira and Pepe all came close to doubling the lead but it was Sokratis who managed to increase Arsenal's advantage. With a few minutes left before half-time, the centre-back headed in Pepe's well-delivered corner to make it 2-0 for his side.
There could have been more goals in the second half but both sides were unable to find the back of the net. Arteta finally won his first match as a manager and it certainly was a great start to the New Year for Arsenal.
#5 Nicolas Pepe scores in his first start under Mikel Arteta
It was the first time Nicolas Pepe started a match under Mikel Arteta and the Ivorian impressed everyone. Pepe broke the deadlock in the eighth minute of the match to score his third Premier League goal of the season.
In his first two matches, Arteta went ahead with Reiss Nelson and introduced Pepe only in the last few minutes of the match. Both players have their unique style of play. As compared to Nelson, the 24-year-old is less committed at the back and provides lesser defensive support for Maitland-Niles.
Furthermore, the 20-year-old winger prefers to charge down the right flank as soon as he has the ball, while Pepe tends to hold onto the ball longer and appears to be more apprehensive.
Despite the merits of Nelson, Pepe is the calmer and more accurate finisher of the two. His excellent corner led to Arsenal's second goal of the night. It was truly a game where he lived up to his price tag and everyone's expectations. What a way to start the decade for him!
#4 Paul Pogba's future at Manchester United in doubt
In the buildup to the clash, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tipped Paul Pogba to return to the squad after missing out against Burnley. However, it appears that Pogba has suffered another injury setback.
Speaking on the midfielder's absence, Solskjaer has confirmed that the French international will be out for a few weeks. The manager explained,
"He [Pogba] is feeling some discomfort in his ankle."
"He'll be out for a few weeks, definitely."
The 26-year-old's niggling ankle problem has caused him to miss close to three months of action last year. He returned to play against Watford and Newcastle United before the end of the year but is now sidelined again.
With Mino Raiola's recent comments, there has been some debate on whether Pogba will stay at Old Trafford. The player's agent seems unimpressed by the way the midfielder has been treated at the club.
#3 Marcus Rashford's scoring blues against Arsenal
Marcus Rashford was hardly involved in any action at the Emirates Stadium and it was a stark contrast as compared to his performance against Burnley. The 22-year-old forward barely had any chances to get onto the ball and looked obscured from the match.
The last time Rashford scored against the Gunners was when he made his Premier League debut in the 2015-16 season. That day, the striker netted two goals to record a 3-2 victory for the Red Devils. Thereafter, regardless of the competition in which the two sides have met, Rashford has never scored.
The England international has been on an impressive goalscoring form this season, having netted 16 goals in all competitions. Before the game, Rashford has scored in two consecutive games and it was widely expected that he will get a goal against Arsenal. However, it was not meant to be for him and his team last night.
#2 Arsenal keep a clean sheet for the first time since October 2019
Bernd Leno had a game to forget when he played against Frank Lampard's side before the New Year. His goalkeeping error allowed Jorginho to score the equaliser, with Chelsea securing all three points late on.
It was another big test for the German custodian, whose team faced Manchester United last night. However, he didn't allow that trauma to get the better of him and managed to keep a clean sheet in the fixture.
Additionally, Arsenal's attackers are now more capable of tracking back and helping out the defence. From the previous game against Chelsea, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mesut Ozil and Lacazette have been spotted running back to their backline and getting behind the ball. Their contributions have helped the Arsenal full-backs and also aided in keeping a vital clean sheet.
# Arsenal are getting their mojo back
Gone are the days where Unai Emery and Freddie Ljungberg were in charge of the team. The fans are starting to trust Mikel Arteta, who has guided Arsenal to a couple of impressive performances. The first showing against Bournemouth was sub-par, but the Gunners' display against Chelsea and Manchester United have been pretty good.
Arteta's team were unlucky to lose that match against the Blues. Arsenal led for the majority of the match but a disastrous final 10 minutes led to their downfall. This time around, the Gunners stepped up their game and made it hard for the Red Devils to mount a comeback.
The final result of the match was 2-0 to Arsenal and it took Arteta three matches to get the team back to winning ways. The team will next face Leeds United in the FA Cup and the manager will be expected to rotate his squad.
