Arsenal continued to chase Liverpool in the Premier League title race with a 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the Emirates. This victory once again affirmed the Gunners' impressive ability to score from set pieces.
Jurrien Timber and William Saliba's second-half goals, both from corners, brought Arsenal an easy win. This was also the first defeat for coach Ruben Amorim since taking office at Man United last month.
With Liverpool losing points after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Newcastle at St. Petersburg. James' Park, Arsenal have narrowed the gap between the two teams to 7 points.
"Last year we scored the most goals in the club's history. Not only in set pieces, but we also had many other moves. We want to create individual shining moments and even magical situations.
There are many players who can score. We can score from short counter-attacks or long counter-attacks, deploy the ball slowly and unlock the opponent" - Arteta said.
Last week, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta warned Liverpool that leading the rankings does not guarantee anything. He implied that "udden you think you have it, it will collapse one day".
The 3-3 draw with Newcastle was not Liverpool's collapse, but it created an opportunity for the chasing group to narrow the gap. Chelsea and Manchester City also defeated Southampton and Nottingham Forest, thereby putting pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool.
Timber's goal in the 54th minute eased the roible tension in the Emirates stands. Before that, in the first half, the away team Man United almost completely neutralized Arsenal.
However, Arteta will be satisfied with the maturity that The Gunners have shown when they keep their cool and find a breakthrough. In fact, despite a good defense, the "Red Devils" did not create any dangerous blows, except for Matthijs de Ligt's header in the 67th minute.
6 minutes after the Dutch midfielder's dangerous opportunity, Saliba scored to close out an easy victory for the home team. These 3 points will give Arsenal a lot of motivation in the championship race with Liverpool.
From now until early 2025, Arsenal's match schedule is relatively easy and they will have the opportunity to accumulate points. This includes away games against Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace and Ipswich. If Arsenal take full advantage of these opportunities to break away, they will put great pressure on Liverpool's top spot.
"We just want to have a chance to win. If we continue to play like this, we will win many games. But now, all our attention is on Fulham. We have to go there and prepare well," Arteta added.
