3 POINTS AS MANCHESTER UNITED CLAIMS A NARROW WIN OVER ARSENAL

Man O man! A minute of silence for all those who skipped this game because what a match!

It was a topsy turvy classic premier league match on a Thursday night. The match started with the Gunners seemingly the brighter side with United conceding 3 corners in just the starting 3  minutes. After a controversial Arsenal goal, it seemed like another humiliation might be on it's way for the Red Devils. However, United reacted by scoring an equalizer just before halftime to bring the scoreline to 1-1. Bruno Fernandes got on the scoresheet after a long drought of 9 games (his longest ever since he joined Manchester United).

United's superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, had a frustrating first half after a couple of days of him being all over the news because of his comment on an Instagram post which somewhat implied that his longtime Argentine rival, Lionel Messi, didn't deserve to win his 7th Ballon d'or. The Argentine now has 2 more than the Ronaldo, which somewhat gives him the upper hand in the Greatest Of All Time debate.

Anyways, back to the match, the scoreline was 1-1 and the 3 points were crucial for both the classic premier league giants. 7 minutes into the second half and a Cristiano Ronaldo strike brings his side to a 2-1 lead. It just had to be him to relieve the pressure. This was his 800th goal and well we can say it was a crucial one. However, Ronaldo would've felt hard done by since Arsenal scored an equalizer just 2 minutes after.

 It was 2-2 and both the teams were desperately trying to somehow find the winning goal. And who else but Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winning penalty goal after Fred was brought down in the box by Martin Ødegaard in what was a clumsy challenge according to me. In the end it was United who took all the 3 points and deservedly so.

Here are my 3 points from this incredible fixture-

1) Fred: Fred has been putting up an impressive display ever since Ole was sacked. Today again, we saw him all over the pitch recovering the ball and trying to pass it forward. He very well was a candidate for the Man Of The Match. His passing is clearly not his best attribute but I guess that's part of the package. We all know how Rangnick expects his side to play with high intensity and pressing and I think Fred would very well suit that system. So I guess good times are coming for the Brazilian!

2) Michael Carrick : His journey comes to an end as he has officially left the club. This was much needed but the fans should be grateful for what he has done for the club. After Ole was sacked and before the appointment of Rangnick was announced, the club needed stability with 3 tough games coming up and Carrick provided just that. With 2 wins and 1 draw in 3 games, he definitely should leave with his head held up high.

 

 3) CR7 : We are 1 month away from 2022 and soon Cristiano will be a 37-year old. While he certainly has lost a yard or two in terms of his pace but what this guy will never lose is his goalscoring ability. (Fun fact: All of Cristiano's goals for Manchester United this season have come from drawing or losing positions). The definition of clutch. It was a historic night for Cristiano as he scored the 800th and 801st goal of his extraordinary career. After several days of controversy, I would just say CR801 is factos!👀👍

It remains to be seen how Ralf Rangnick will try to turn around this season for Man United. This group of players certainly have what it takes to compete for the title as well as to go on and win it. However, only time will tell whether United fans will finally get to celebrate at the end of the season or will it be another year of disappointment.