At 23:30 on May 12, Beijing time, the 37th round of the 23-24 Premier League season ushered in a key battle, Manchester United sat at home at Old Trafford against Arsenal. In the end, the Gunners won by 1 goal to reach the top, completing the season double against the Red Devils after 17 years!
This game is arguably the most watched game in this round of the Premier League, and in the face of the upcoming season, the title contenders Arsenal are bound to win. Mikel Arteta was at full strength, Kai Havertz came on, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard flanking off.
United have had a lot of injuries recently, and Ten Hag has had to rotate, with Evans once again partnering Casemiro at centre-back, with Hojlen up front as a lone striker, flanked by Garnacho and Diallo. The two teams met for the first time this season, with Arsenal beating Manchester United 3-1 at home in the fourth round of the Premier League.
The game officially started, and Arsenal, who were playing away, chose to play steadily and put on a defensive posture. As a result, Manchester United achieved a certain advantage in possession, but unfortunately they did not dare to compliment the goal. In the 5th minute, Thomas's backfield catch was broken, and Hojlen slipped and kicked away with the ball.
In the 20th minute, Havertz dribbled the ball on the right side and crossed low, and Trossard followed up and scored the ball into the net! The score is 0-1, Arsenal breaks the deadlock and successfully takes the lead!
Manchester United's defense was also gone, and no one at the back could keep an eye on the forward Trossard in time, and the Belgian striker easily ran into position to score the ball.
In the 36th minute, Diallo broke through with the ball in the face of dense defense, and then fell in the penalty area, but the referee did not indicate it.
In the first half, United had no shortage of attacking chances, but struggled to create great chances, with crucial balls blocked by Arsenal's dense defence.
In the second half, the Reds tried to regain the initiative on the pitch, but several attempts were made to little effect. On the left, the 19-year-old Argentine player Garnacho dribbled the ball a few times, and the important shot was either outrageously kicked off or hit the side-netting.
In the 64th minute, Arsenal launched an attack, and Wan-Bissaka and Amrabat suddenly slipped while defending one after another, which was also amazing. Ode shoots high and low and Onana manages to take the ball.
In the 84th minute, Arsenal won a corner on the right, Wan-Bissaka tried to fight for the top but almost scored an own goal, Onana cleared the danger in time.
The 70,000-strong Old Trafford stadium was packed, and as a result, United fans were once again at home to witness the defeat.
The final score was locked at 0-1, Arsenal won all 3 points away from home, and beat Manchester United again after 17 years after the 06-07 season, accumulating 86 points to regain the top of the Premier League in 1 round!
Facing a 1-0 defeat at home after the game, Ten Hag once again showed his style as one of the toughest managers in world football, "When we are missing seven players with the potential to start eleven, we can still compete with one of the best teams in the league."
At present, Manchester United is ranked 8th with 54 points from 36 rounds, and the former Premier League hegemon now only has the possibility of fighting for 6. After this game, Manchester United has lost 14 rounds of Premier League games this season, setting a new record for the number of Premier League defeats in a single season in team history!
Manchester United have lost 19 games in all competitions this season, the most in a single season since the 77/78 season, the most in 46 years!
With this goal conceded, Manchester United have conceded 82 goals in all competitions this season, the most goals conceded in a single season in 53 years since the 70-71 season!
This is only Ten Hag's second season in charge of Manchester United, and the Reds have already broken a record of humiliation. More and more fans believe that this is the worst Manchester United team of the Premier League era......
In contrast, former title rivals Arsenal are now in excellent form overall, keeping the Premier League title suspense with Manchester City until the final round of the season.
With a one-point lead in the first game, Arsenal are left to host 15th-placed Everton on 19 May. Manchester City also have a trip to Tottenham Hotspur on 15 May and a home to West Ham United on 19 May, facing two strong London sides.
With three points from Old Trafford, Arsenal are very close to the title, and the suspense of this season's Premier League title will not be revealed until the last moments!
---------------------------------
[For more real-time football information, welcome to pay attention to the headline "Ball Ding Football"]