Saturday, November 19, 2016

Giroud off bench to grab Arsenal point at rampant Man Utd


Olivier Giroud emerged from the bench to rescue a point
for a flat Arsenal at Manchester United on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho made four changes to the team which won
at Swansea City, dropping Wayne Rooney to the bench and
selecting both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in
attack. Arsene Wenger, meanwhile, named Carl Jenkinson at
right-back and a double midfield pivot of Mohamed Elneny
and Francis Coquelin .

United were the stronger from kickoff, as Rashford's pace
tested the Gunners defence in the opening exchanges.

However , it was Arsenal which should've gone ahead inside
the opening ten minutes as a scrambled cross finished with
Alexis Sanchez heading wide from close range.

Both Rashford and Paul Pogba fizzed crosses past Gunners
goalkeeper Petr Cech before the outstanding Antonio
Valencia should've been awarded a penalty midway through
the first-half.

The Ecuador international nutmegged Nacho Monreal before
attempting to enter the Arsenal penalty area. Both players
fell, with Monreal's arm clearly across Valencia, but referee
Andre Marriner waved away the home appeals.

Minutes later Pogba set up Juan Mata, who's drive forced
an excellent save from Petr Cech. Then Martial also had
Cech tipped his shot over the Arsenal crossbar.

The half finished with United on top, as the likes of Mesut
Ozil and Aaron Ramsey struggled to make an impact.

United came out even stronger in the second-half as they
lay siege on Cech's goal. Rashford, particularly, and
Valencia constantly had the Arsenal defence backpedaling.
But it wasn't until Rooney's introduction that United hit the
front.

Pogba was again the architect, on 68 minutes, as he played
in Ander Herrera , who superbly picked out Mata with his pull
back for the United No8 to drill home.

It was just reward for United's dominance and soon after
Rashford had a shot blocked before another Valencia cross
whistled across the Arsenal penalty area.

Wenger threw on Olivier Giroud for Elneny and it was the
Frenchman who equalised on 89 minutes. Alex Oxlade-
Chamberlain sunk Rashford down the right before lifting a
cross for Giroud to bury his header past David De Gea.

It was Arsenal 's first effort on target and left the Old
Trafford stunned.

United had one final chance for an injury time winner from a
free-kick. But it was poorly played out and with it went
United's final chance.

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