ARSENAL 1-2 MAN UTD: PLAYER RATINGS
TEAM RATINGS
Arsenal
- 1W. SzczęsnyNever troubled until a lack of communication with Gibbs led to the opening goal. Forced off after his collision with the England full-back.
- 18Nacho MonrealDealt admirably with Di Maria's forward runs as he tried to force him into wide areas. Has had few better games at centre-back for the Gunners.
- 3K. GibbsLooked to get forward when he could but was rarely found on the left-hand side. Got in Szczesny's way and then diverted Valencia's cross into the back of the net as the visitors took the lead.
- 4P. MertesackerMade sure that Van Persie saw very little of the ball though was rarely stretched. Kept possession well enough despite being put under little pressure.
- 21C. ChambersGot forward to support attacks down the right-hand side while a fine block denied Rooney in the first half. Allowed Young to cross in the build-up to the opening goal.
- 8ArtetaSaw much of the game pass him by as the hosts attacked at pace, though he did track Rooney effectively and kept the United skipper relatively quiet.
- 16A. RamseyAgain struggled at the heart of the Arsenal midfield, with his decision-making and shooting a real concern.
- 10J. WilshereWasted a glorious opportunity when denied by De Gea early on and was lucky to avoid a red card after a clash with Fellaini. Forced off with an ankle injury early in the second half following a driving run.
- 17A. SánchezWorked tirelessly in forward areas, though was forced to drop deep to pick up the ball on occasion. Denied by De Gea with a second-half header.
- 23D. WelbeckFailed to prove his former employers wrong as he was largely wasteful in front of goal. Forced into hold-up play up against Smalling for much of the evening.
- 15A. Oxlade-ChamberlainPace caused Blackett plenty of early problems and was denied by De Gea in the first half. Faded as the game wore on.
Manchester United
- 1De GeaOn fire in the first half as he denied Wilshere and Oxlade-Chamberlain, among others. Maintained his form after the break as he showed great hands to hold efforts from Alexis and Cazorla.
- 3L. ShawCarried the ball well in his role as a wing-back but was forced off early on with an ankle injury.
- 12C. SmallingStrong up against Welbeck at the heart of the visitors' defence. Missed a great chance to open the scoring when he fluffed a volleyed opportunity.
- 33P. McNairCame across well to deny Welbeck early on and never looked fazed, even up against Alexis. His tough challenge on Wilshere forced the midfielder off with an ankle injury.
- 42T. BlackettResembled a rabbit in the headlights for the first 20 minutes but grew into his role on the left of the back three. Still not totally convincing.
- 25A. ValenciaLooked to get forward as much as possible in his role as a wing-back, with his deflected cross opening the scoring. Struggled positionally in defence.
- 16M. CarrickWas overrun in the early stages but grew into the match and shielded the defence effectively. Lacked the incisive passing game with which he made his name.
- 7Á. di MaríaAlways a threat when in possession as he floated from one flank to the other. Went close with a curling effort in the first half before laying on Rooney for the second goal but missed a late sitter for a 3-0 lead.
- 31M. FellainiStruggled to track back in defence but won plenty of balls in the air and sprung a number of United counterattacks. His aerial presence gave the home defence real issues.
- 20R. van PersieAnonymous throughout as he barely touched the ball, never mind got a sight of goal. A shadow of the player who lit up the Emirates Stadium during his time in north London.
- 10W. RooneyDenied by a fine Chambers block in the first half but got his name on the scoresheet late on. Looked to break up play when he could as he showed good energy to track back into midfield.
Substitutes
- 26D. MartínezReplaced Szczesny in the aftermath of the opening goal but could do nothing to deny Rooney as he sealed the points.
- 19CazorlaReplaced Wilshere early in the second half and gave the hosts energy in midfield, though his final pass was sometimes lacking.
- 12O. GiroudReplaced Ramsey on his return from injury and his superb finish gave the Gunners some hope late on.
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