BEVERLY HILLS, November 01, (THEWILL) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did not have much to celebrate in his 100th match in charge of Manchester United as it ended in a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored from the penalty spot.
The visitors were the much better side in the clash at Old Trafford on Sunday. Arsenal forward Aubameyang’s 69th-minute spot-kick secured the Gunners their first victory at Old Trafford in the English Premier League (EPL) since September 2006.
The Red Devils were not at their creative best in front of goal and the contest was settled when French midfielder Paul Pogba was deemed to have fouled Spanish winger Hector Bellerin inside the area.
The win moved Arsenal up to eighth place on the table with 12 points, ahead of United in 15th, having gone winless at home in the EPL after four games this season.
It was the first time both sides were meeting each other with both languishing in the bottom half of the table since 1936, and it was the visitors who climbed out.
Arsenal started brightly and should have gone ahead early. In the 15th minute, Aubameyang came within a whisker of getting a touch on Bellerin’s low cross as he looked to get the opener.
The first attempt on target by United was in the 21st minute when Marcus Rashford pulled a teasing ball from the right across the penalty area for Mason Greenwood. The latter’s low angled shot was well saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno at the near post.
Arteta’s side it was that finished the first 45 minutes stronger, as Willian’s curling effort grazed the crossbar while Bukayo Saka headed just wide from a good position.
In fact, United’s solitary effort from Greenwood meant they had their fewest shots in the first half of a Premier League home game since having none against Manchester City in October 2015.
Arsenal caught United in possession six minutes into the second half and the resulting curly shot from Aubameyang flew past the post, while defender Harry Maguire headed wide for the hosts not long afterwards.
Thomas Partey’s long-range effort in the 59th minute was comfortably saved by David De Gea. Then, the moment came when Pogba clipped Bellerin’s ankle and Aubameyang calmly found the right corner in the 69th.
With a quarter of an hour left, Solskjaer threw on veteran Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani. However, aside a few speculative long-range efforts, it was as tame a finish from United as their performance merited. Arsenal comfortably handled long balls pumped into the box.
It was not the way Solskjaer would have prayed his 100th game to end. United have suffered three defeats and one draw from their first four home Premier League games. How the Old Trafford fans could have reacted at full time would have been interesting to see had the stands been packed.
For his part, Arteta will appreciate the promise of Arsenal’s performance. He becomes just the second manager in their history to win both of his first two games against United, after Herbert Chapman in the 1925/1926 season.
Credit to Aubameyang too. The Gabonese striker and team captain had gone five Premier League games without a goal. Yet, when it mattered, he kept his cool to send De Gea the wrong way with a clinical penalty kick.
He also goes into the record books. He becomes the first Arsenal player to score a penalty at Old Trafford in the Premier League, with neither of the previous two attempts being converted by Robin van Persie in 2011 and Gilberto Silva in 2006.
France international Pogba enters the records as well but not the one he will like. Once again, the French midfielder failed to show the composure required in such a big game. He has now given away three Premier League penalties since Solskjaer took charge of United, with no other player doing so more than once for the Red Devils during his tenure.
Indeed United have conceded five penalties in their last seven Premier League home games, having given away five in their previous 101 such games. THEWILL believes that is one part of their game stats that they must purposely work on to improve going forward.
Both clubs are in different European action in the coming week. United head to Turkey for a UEFA Champions League Group H clash against Istanbul Basaksehir on Wednesday while Arsenal host Norwegian side Molde the following day in a UEFA Europa League Group B fixture.
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