Chapter 515: A Crushing Victory Over Arsenal
At 5:30 PM local time in England on December 2, the 15th round of the Premier League saw Manchester United travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal. This match was a top-tier clash between the league leaders and the third-placed team.
Pre-match predictions from the media suggested that Arsenal had a good chance of defeating Manchester United at home, given Arsenal's strong home record this season, with seven wins in seven matches. Despite United's impressive form this season, achieving 14 consecutive league wins from the start and extending their overall winning streak to 15 matches, many believed United was on the verge of a slip-up. Last season, it was Arsenal who ended United's 25-game unbeaten run in the league, keeping the title race alive.
Even with a tough midweek match against Atletico Madrid looming at Old Trafford, Mourinho fielded his strongest lineup against Arsenal. The result was shocking: 0-4! The home team's score was listed first, followed by the visitors'.
United dominated Arsenal, winning 4-0 away from home. In the first 45 minutes, Arsenal barely had any shots or attacks, as they were completely suppressed by United, struggling to even cross the halfway line. In contrast, every United attack threatened Arsenal's goal.
United took the lead in the 4th minute when Valencia intercepted a pass and set up Bruno, who then passed back to Valencia. Valencia's low shot from 10 yards out went through Monreal's legs and into the far corner. United doubled their lead in the 11th minute when Harry Kane intercepted Mustafi's pass, Rashford controlled the ball in the box and made a clever pass, allowing Mbappe to score from 10 yards out, making it 2-0. In the 36th minute, Bruno scored again, bringing the score to 3-0.
Arsenal seemed to wake up in the second half, improving slightly, while Mourinho decisively instructed his team to play a solid counter-attacking game. Counter-attacking was Mourinho's forte, and United executed it flawlessly. They engaged in a 45-minute tussle with Arsenal, not only maintaining their three-goal lead but also scoring another goal on the counter-attack, initiated by Bruno.
Throughout the second half, Arsenal had several shots but none were on target. United's defense held firm, and their counter-attacks were lethal.
Following this victory, many were shocked by the margin, as it was widely believed that the gap between Arsenal and United shouldn't be as large as four goals. Numerous British media outlets praised United's resounding victory, with some even giving glowing, almost sycophantic reviews. Although a 4-0 scoreline might seem less impressive than 5-0, the quality of the opposition was significantly higher in this match.
Mourinho's team also managed to keep a clean sheet, their 12th in the league this season out of 15 matches.
"The Guardian" headlined their report with "Manchester United Flying High": "Arsenal's defense couldn't withstand the relentless onslaught of the Red Devils, finding themselves three goals down by halftime. Despite an improved second-half performance, it was too little too late."
"The Sun" ran with the title "Unstoppable United", writing: "After a suffocating wave of attacks, United tore Arsenal's defense to shreds, making them look amateurish in comparison. United gave Arsenal a footballing lesson and extended their Premier League winning streak to 16 matches. In contrast to their 5-0 victory over Huddersfield in the midweek 14th round, Arsenal's collective performance this time was abysmal, especially their virtually non-existent defense. England national team coach Gareth Southgate was present in the stands. Though no Arsenal players were in the starting XI for England, United had three."
The media reports clearly showed how impressed they were by United's performance. Despite Arsenal's respectable record of 10 wins, 8 draws, and 7 losses in their previous 25 home matches against United, today's performance by United was dominant. They controlled the match from the start, wrapping it up by halftime.
Faced with United's intense pressing, Arsenal's passing accuracy dropped to 75%, almost double United's. One statistic highlighted the disparity: United had 23 shots compared to Arsenal's 13. Besides the four goals, United also hit the post once and forced seven saves from Arsenal's keeper, Cech.
Arsenal defender Mustafi said after the match, "I don't know what they ate before the game, but they played like wild beasts. United were clearly better, running like a pack of wild men."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was particularly impressed by United's midfielder, number 8, Bruno. Wenger had previously faced Bruno's Udinese in a Champions League Round of 16 tie, where Bruno almost single-handedly eliminated Arsenal, scoring three goals and providing one assist in a 5-1 aggregate victory. Rumors even suggested that Wenger had once considered signing Bruno for Arsenal.
In this match, Bruno played an advanced role, utilizing his stamina and tackling skills to press Arsenal's players high up the pitch. Under his leadership, United's players executed tight, coordinated pressing in midfield, often double-teaming Arsenal's ball carriers.
As a result, Arsenal resorted to long balls, leading to more errors. Meanwhile, United's midfielders, once in possession, quickly passed to their attacking trio of Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Rashford, capitalizing on speed to score.
Wenger, observing from the sidelines, found Bruno unstoppable. Despite only scoring one goal, Bruno's disruptive presence in midfield was pivotal to United's easy victory.
In the post-match press conference, when asked which United player had impressed him the most, Wenger immediately responded, "Number 8, Bruno. His midfield performance was key to their victory, and I was very impressed with him."
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