Apart from picking up a yellow card Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta enjoyed the perfect Sunday afternoon as his side completed the first half of their Premier League campaign by reaching 50 points with a 3-2 win over Manchester United.
Two goals by Eddie Nketiah and one from Bukayo Saka, both products of Arsenal’s academy, sealed the win that lifted Arsenal five points clear of champions Manchester City.
It is their best ever start to a Premier League campaign and while there is a long way to go, Arteta’s young side are growing in belief that they can stay the course.
No wonder the Spaniard said “it doesn’t get much better than this” as he evaluated a deserved victory over a United side who now find themselves 11 points in arrears.
“Emotional, a lot of passion, a lot of quality. It doesn’t get much better than that. After the derby (against Tottenham), to come against this team and play the way we played. The second half especially, the performance was incredible,” he said.
Arsenal had to shake off the blow of going behind to a Marcus Rashford goal and then were pegged back to 2-2 when Lisandro Martinez punished a mistake by home keeper Aaron Ramsdale. But they ended the game in dominant fashion.
Arteta’s side showed great maturity in the closing stages, pinning United back with their intensity.
“We were composed and determined at the same time. We managed the moments in the game. We never panicked. We always believed that we could win it,” Arteta said.
“We showed the right composure in the box a lot of times but the ball didn’t go in. Thankfully at the end it did.”
The way Arsenal won the game made it even more special with Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville saying the Arsenal display was reminiscent of some of the great teams under Arsene Wenger.
Arsenal full back Oleksandr Zinchenko, who has experienced title-winning seasons with Manchester City, said the victory so late was extra sweet.
“I love this winning, you know? The winning feeling in the last minute, the last second. It’s something you cannot describe,” he said. “Today was unbelievable.”
I need to watch it again before I go to bed because these are the magic moments.”
While Arsenal are now the bookmakers’ favourites to win the title for the first time since 2004, Arteta was quick to offer some words of caution.
“I have no clue (if we are favourites),” the former Arsenal midfielder said. “The margins are very small in this league. We deserve to be where we are because of how we’re playing. But there are a lot of things that we can do much better.”
Erik ten Hag blamed defensive mistakes as his Manchester United side went down 3-2 at Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday (January 22) to leave them 11 points off the top of the table.
A run of five successive wins had prompted title talk at Old Trafford but a draw in midweek at Crystal Palace and Sunday’s defeat has halted United’s charge.
United led early through a Marcus Rashford goal and after falling 2-1 behind drew level through Lisandro Martinez.
But Eddie Nketiah’s 90th-minute close-range effort sealed a deserved win for Arsenal who dominated the second half.
“It was a great game with a lot of tempo and the audience is the big winner,” Ten Hag, whose side are in fourth place behind Newcastle United on goal difference, told the BBC.
“Two top teams but of course we are disappointed when you lose this game at a late stage. All the goals we conceded today are mistakes — it can’t happen.”
United were guilty of allowing Nketiah a free header after needlessly conceding a corner and then stood off Bukayo Saka as he fired Arsenal ahead early in the second half.
They rode their luck late on but Nketiah flicked home from in front of goal in the 90th minute.
“Even last week, we were so hard to beat in such situations. Today we were not. All three goals, we could have avoided,” Dutchman Ten Hag said. “They are very good on the ball but we are a good defending team.
“There were not a lot of open chances. We made mistakes which we cannot make. This game was decided by small details but also the decision making. That is hard to accept.
“I want to win. It is not good enough. We want to be the number one but not if we make mistakes. That is clear and what I told them.”
