Manchester United vs Arsenal 3-2 All Goals And Highlights 28/02/2016
11.05am EST11:05
Sir Alex is smiling in the stands, Glory, glory Man United is ringing out lustily. Could that match be a turning point for Louis van Gaal and his team? United were superb there wholehearted, sharp, fresh, creative, gutsy. A skeleton side grew into the game, deserved the remarkable Rashfords early pair and second-half strike from Herrera, and perhaps most impressive of all was the way in which they responded each time Arsenal pulled a goal back. They never looked cowed or flustered, and it has to be said that senior players such as Carrick, Mata and Blind were superb in marshalling the likes of Rashford and Varela through proceedings. This was light years from the United weve seen this season, in more ways than one.
And Arsenal? Oh, Arsenal. Lets not beat about the bush it was so, so disappointing from them. We should probably know what to expect by now, but this was a huge opportunity and they blew it. They were flat, sluggish and second best throughout, rarely threatening even after clawing themselves back into the game. You cant rule them out of the title race, of course you cant but can you really see this team forcing it home? Those false dawns must be absolutely exasperating for their fans.
Right, youve a cup final to get your teeth into now. Thanks for your company as ever and apologies that the live score on the blog got stuck at 2-1 today, technical issue Im told. Cheers, and enjoy the rest of your Sunday.
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10.58am EST10:58
Full-time! Manchester United 3-2 ArsenalThey can! What a victory that is for Manchester United!
Manchester United fans are smiling again. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty ImagesUpdatedat 11.08am EST
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10.57am EST10:57
90+5 min: A late change for United, James Weir replacing Herrera. Can they see it out?
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10.56am EST10:56
90+4 min: Arsenal pumping the long b***s forward now. All, so far, met by thumping clearances...
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10.55am EST10:55
90+3 min: Its back in the corner again with Januzaj, who then makes for the box and almost picks out Lingard. No charge of the light brigade from Arsenal yet, although Ozil picks up a booking for bashing Varela into the advertising hoardings.
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10.53am EST10:53
90+1 min: We will have five added minutes. Arsenal dont deserve a draw here. But this will be a long, long period of stoppage time for United.
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10.51am EST10:51
89 min: Probably a bit of a stretch for United to imagine they can hold the ball down there until 90+4, or so. Its given away eventually, but then great work from Fosu-Mensah and Januzaj gets the ball down the other flank to cheers.
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10.50am EST10:50
88 min: Then Sanchez beats Varela to a header and almost slips Ramsey in, but his touch lets him down and De Gea gets out quickly. Nervy times. Elneny, who has played daftly since coming on, then fouls Lingard deep inside the Arsenal half to afford United some respite. The ball goes into the corner and a corner is then won.
Arsenals Alexis Sanchez attacks is challenged by Jesse Lingard. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesUpdatedat 10.58am EST
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10.48am EST10:48
86 min: Close-ish there though, as another fine Ozil free-kick finds Koscielny at the back stick. His header loops up, and De Gea catches.
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10.47am EST10:47
85 min: Arsenal are probing theres genuine urgency at last but so far finding few spaces. But theres time...
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10.45am EST10:45
83 min: Welbeck now goes off, to a few boos. On comes Alex Iwobi, nephew of Jay Jay Okocha.
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10.44am EST10:44
82 min: Varela concedes a corner after Sanchez, growing in influence now, finds Welbeck. Depay heads away powerfully at the near post.
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10.43am EST10:43
80 min: Just a few signs that the earlier pattern Arsenal probing, United dropping in a little too deep is going to repeat itself now. Giroud heads over, beating Varela to a Sanchez cross, and United wont want much more of that. Now Rashford comes off, to absolutely tumultuous applause. So well deserved! Adnan Januzaj replaces him.
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10.40am EST10:40
78 min: Tottenham now lead against Swansea Danny Rose scores. Arsenal need to win really, dont they?
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10.39am EST10:39
77 min: Wonderful take by Depay, killing a diagonal ball with his heel before it could come over his head. Hes been very bright today.
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10.38am EST10:38
76 min: Herrera, just booked, is told to calm down by Pawson after fouling Sanchez. Van Gaal then ... and this is bizarre ... falls on his backside on the touchline while remonstrating with fourth official Mike Dean! I think he was mimicking a dive! Its all taken a bit of a strange turn here.
Louis Van Gaal makes a bizarre point to the fourth official. Photograph: Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesUpdatedat 11.04am EST
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10.36am EST10:36
73 min: Elneny is booked for a hack on Depay, his first contribution of the game. The temperature has raised a notch. Might be in for quite a final 20 minutes here.
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10.34am EST10:34
71 min: Fisticuffs as Ramsey, having been clipped by Herrera, pushes him to the floor for no obvious reason. Theres a long delay, howls of Off! Off! Off!, but Craig Pawson eventually shows a yellow card. Herrera is booked too. Was Ramsey lucky?
Arsenals Aaron Ramsey clashes with Manchester Uniteds players. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/ReutersUpdatedat 10.42am EST
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10.32am EST10:32
Goal! Manchester United 3-2 Arsenal (Ozil 69)Mesut Ozil makes sure of scoring from a rebound to make it two for Arsenal. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/ReutersBut this aint over! De Gea saves well after Welbeck takes down and shoots from a Sanchez cross. Ozil is first to the rebound, hitting the ball into the ground and into the unguarded goal. Can Arsenal get into gear now? Elneny has replaced Coquelin, another who has been poor today.
Updatedat 10.48am EST
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10.31am EST10:31
69 min: It should be said that United, for all the criticism theyve had, have been as entertaining as you like today.
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10.30am EST10:30
68 min: Nearly four. Depay and Rashford this time do link up to good effect, the former homing in on goal before Bellerin intervenes just in time.
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10.29am EST10:29
67 min: Fair play to United, really. When Arsenal kept possession for the halfs opening minutes you feared for them but they got themselves right back into it and were in the ascendancy before the goal. This, so far, has been desperately half-hearted stuff from Arsenal.
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10.28am EST10:28
Goal! Manchester United 3-1 Arsenal (Herrera 65)Manchester Uniteds Herrera restores their two-goal lead. Photograph: Matt West/Rex/ShutterstockThe two-goal lead is restored! Mata surges into the United half and reverses the ball to the right, where Rashford goes on another run. Gabriel holds him up but he keeps possession, waits maturely and lays across to the onrushing Herrera, inside the D. Well never know if the diving Cech would have saved his shot it takes a bit deflection off Koscielnys chest and gives him no chance at all!
Updatedat 10.35am EST
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10.25am EST10:25
63 min: A cute one-two on the edge of the box between Depay and Rashford doesnt come off, but United are having a good spell at the moment. Here comes Giroud though! He does, indeed, come on for Walcott who Im afraid has been really sub-par.
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10.23am EST10:23
61 min: Depay cuts in and thwacks in another shot. Cech saves well, although cant grab it cleanly.
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10.22am EST10:22
60 min: United have got a grip now after that ominous Arsenal start, although you suspect theyll be confined to counters. Walcott is caught on the ball again; it must be Giroud time soon.
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10.20am EST10:20
58 min: Fosu-Mensah is not, as far as I know, a full back by trade at all but has slotted into Rojos spot.
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10.18am EST10:18
56 min: The free-kick, from the Ozil foul, is finally taken and goes all the way through to Schneiderlin at the back post. His shot is blocked by Sanchez.
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10.18am EST10:18
56 min: Rojo is down, and it doesnt look good. The ex-Ajax youngster Tim Fosu-Mensah replaces him for his debut, and Uniteds team gets yet younger!
Manchester Uniteds Marcos Rojo gets a serious knock. Photograph: Matthew Peters/Man Utd via Getty ImagesUpdatedat 10.27am EST
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10.17am EST10:17
54 min: Better from the home team, with Rashford pulling left and passing infield to Mata, who cant quite play Depay in. Cech and Koscielny then both have some fun dallying on the ball and getting away with it. Then Lingard gets them up the right flank and Ozil rather crudely kicks him down.
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10.15am EST10:15
53 min: Walcott crosses usefully enough from the right after getting on the end of a superb switch, but nobody is there. Then Sanchez runs along the edge of the box but his right-footer is blocked. United are getting sucked right back though.
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10.12am EST10:12
50 min: Rojo gets in sharpish to deny Ramsey, who had got round the back after a fine Ozil touch. United wont want the whole half to play out to this; its been all Arsenal so far.
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10.12am EST10:12
50 min: Having just seen that handball again, at last, Im really not sure where else Rashford could have gone. Would have been harsh, for me.
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10.09am EST10:09
47 min: Replays apparently showed a Rashford handball in that late off-the-line skirmish at the end of the first half. United might have got a bit lucky, but I dont think Arsenal can worry too much about luck here. They need to improve. Meantime, Rashford is down and receiving treatment ...
Updatedat 10.11am EST
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10.07am EST10:07
Peeeeep! Second half underwayUnited, from right to left, kick off.
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10.03am EST10:03
Do we think Giroud might make hay in the second half, were he to be introduced? Get him on for Walcott? Arsenals goal, and a couple of subsequent flurries, certainly suggested that Uniteds makeshift defence isnt the brightest in the air.
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10.02am EST10:02
From James Bolle: Loved Welbecks reaction to his goal - he wheeled away to celebrate, then seemed to remember where he was and decided against it, opting for a jog to halfway and a couple of muted high fives. But not in a showy Im not celebrating way. The best non-celebration celebration Ive ever seen. #welbz
Thank you for the correct spelling of #welbz.
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9.59am EST09:59
From Scott Stricker: Im concerned that the only Walcott touch I can remember is when he gave the ball away in the buildup to the first goal.
Such potential though.
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9.53am EST09:53
Half-time: Manchester United 2-1 ArsenalWhat an absorbing half. United, who grew into things as the game went on, scored twice in a matter of minutes through the irrepressible Rashford, fine finishes both. Welbeck replied for a well out of sorts Arsenal, and we have one heck of a second period awaiting us now.
Manchester Uniteds Marcus Rashford walks off thoughtfully at half time. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersUpdatedat 10.10am EST
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9.52am EST09:52
45+2 min: Another Arsenal corner now, and a chance the ball pings off Schneiderlin and someone, not sure who, spirits it away from the line!
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9.51am EST09:51
45+1 min: No dice. Ozils effort hits the wall; Sanchezs follow-up ricochets off Depay for a corner. Rashford clears that the boys put a shift in!
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9.50am EST09:50
45 min: Welbeck is fouled three or four yards outside the box by Blind chance for an equaliser here ...
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9.49am EST09:49
45 min: Rashford, faced with Koscielny, goes on a run but cant beat the centre-back. He had a good option or two to his left. I think well let him off.
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9.47am EST09:47
42 min: Perfect timing, that, for Arsenal who had looked so flat. Now its United who could probably use the whistle.
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9.46am EST09:46
Goal! Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal (Welbeck 41)Danny Welbeck gets a goal back for Arsenal. Photograph: Phil Noble/ReutersNow then. Free-kick from Ozil in a fairly central position halfway inside the United half. Theres not much of an angle but the delivery, whipped and flat, is outstanding. Welbeck gets across his man, glances a similar header to Rashfords across De Gea, and well find out a lot more about both sides now.
Updatedat 10.03am EST
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9.43am EST09:43
38 min: Sanchez overcooks a ball to Ramsey goal kick. If Arsenal cant come out of this with something it will be hard to take them very seriously. Theyve completely faded from view and will be grateful for the break as things stand.
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9.41am EST09:41
36 min: Now Cech is out swiftly to gather after a mistake by Gabriel. The visitors need to sort themselves out sharpish. They do go on the attack now and Blind does well to block an Ozil cross-shot.
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9.40am EST09:40
36 min: Depay, to screams of shoot, does so and lashes over after receiving a Koscielny clearance. But Old Trafford is bouncing right now. United have been superb; Arsenal, currently, are just invisible.
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9.39am EST09:39
34 min: Rashford is totally the English Mller, writes Alex Flynn. Perfect understanding of space. Nerveless first time finishes. Steady now, this is the first or second time weve seen him play. But ... well ... what a story this is. United are teeming with confidence at the moment; Arsenal cant get a touch.
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9.38am EST09:38
Unbelievable. United put together another move down the right; it seems to have gone a bit loose but Lingard retrieves the ball and d***s a left-footed cross in from the corner of the box. Up goes Rashford, barely challenged, and glances a superb header across Cech! Wow.
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9.36am EST09:36
Goal! Manchester United 2-0 Arsenal (Rashford 32)Manchester Uniteds Marcus Rashford heads their second goal of the match. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/ReutersThis is actually happening.
Updatedat 9.55am EST
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9.35am EST09:35
Goal! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (Rashford 29)Marcus Rashford scores the opening goal for Manchester United. Photograph: Matt West/Rex/ShutterstockWell, well, well! Herrera tackles a dawdling Walcott midway inside the Arsenal half. The ball is moved slickly out to Varela on the right, who clips in teasing cross. Gabriel cant get much on the clearance and it falls perfectly for Rashford, 10 yards out, who finds the top corner! What composure and what a goal for this under-strength United!
Updatedat 9.55am EST
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9.32am EST09:32
27 min: Carrick, on that booking, is brave enough to make an absolutely *perfect* tackle on Welbeck in the area. Could not afford to go wrong there.
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9.31am EST09:31
26 min: Wholl be the happier so far? Probably United, who have settled down well, although Arsenal have had the best chance. Arsenal need to see a lot more from Walcott, in particular. Hes been invisible since that early run.
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Source: http://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2016/feb/28/manchester-united-v-arsenal-premier-league-live
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