Two Things we learned: Arsenal 1-3 Manchester United

Arsenal suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester United on Saturday evening after they were made to pay for defensive mistakes. The Gunners dominated the proceedings with 75 percent of the possession, but they could not get the result they deserved after David de Gea put in a stunning performance in the United goal. The Spain international made a record-tying 14 saves during the course of the game, and this eventually succumbed the Gunners to their first Premier League defeat at the Emirates in 13 matches.

Two Things we learned:

David de Gea undoubtedly the world’s best: David de Gea played at his extreme in the weekend clash as he single-handedly kept United at bay when the scores were 2-1. The Spaniard made an excellent save off Alexandre Lacazette during the second period, and he managed to react superbly in the aftermath as he blocked Alexis Sanchez’s shot with his right foot. De Gea surprisingly failed to receive a single vote for FIFA’s best goalkeeper award earlier in October, but his critics will have no answer to his recent performance in the United shirt. Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer is widely regarded by many as the world’s best keeper, but De Gea stands out with his sublime form this campaign. Expect the De Gea to Real Madrid talk intensify further with this showing!

Defensive mistakes cost Arsenal: The Gunners were fortuitous to escape without conceding during the 5-0 triumph over Huddersfield Town in midweek, but United made them pay. Jose Mourinho set his side up to put pressure on the Gunners’ backline, and this paid dividends as the likes of Antonio Valencia and Jesse Lingard found the scoresheet. Both Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi were at fault for failing to clear the ball at the first attempt, and it eventually came at a cost for the Gunners, who saw United score thrice with just one-fourth of the possession. To make things worse, Mustafi was subbed off shortly after United’s early 2-0 lead, and Arsene Wenger may have to tweak to the 4-4-2 formation, or risk playing one of his fringe players at the heart of the backline.

Image – Getty