Live Commentary: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal


Hello, and welcome to Nigerianeye's live coverage of the match in the Premier League between Manchester United and Arsenal.


Just 11 games have been played in in England's top flight but United are already in a position where they cannot afford defeat against Arsenal if they want to maintain realistic ambitions of mounting a title challenge this season.

While Jose Mourinho's side are eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool, Arsenal head into the game at Old Trafford with the opportunity to move to the top of the standings before the remainder of the weekend's games.

The Gunners have not suffered a defeat in any competition since losing 4-3 to Liverpool on the opening day of the season.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Darmian; Carrick, Herrera; Mata, Pogba, Martial; Rashford

MANCHESTER UNITED SUBSTITUTES: Romero, Blind, Schneiderlin, Lingard, Young, Memphis, Rooney

ARSENAL: Cech; Jenkinson, Mustafi, Koscielny, Monreal; Coquelin, Elneny; Walcott, Ozil, Ramsey; Sanchez

ARSENAL SUBSTITUTES: Ospina, Gabriel, Gibbs, Xhaka, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Iwobi, Giroud




















The full-time whistle goes at Old Trafford and somehow, someway, Arsenal are returning to North London with a point. United were fully deserving of three points this afternoon and Giroud's header has left United still six points behind the Gunners in the table. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!


90+5 min FULL TIME: Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal

90+3 min It comes to nothing. They tried to play it short but completely messed it up.

90+2 min United win a late free kick after an handball from Xhaka. This will be their last chance, surely.

90 min There will be four minutes of added-on time.

89 min Well, well, well. After offering absolutely nothing, Arsenal equalise through Giroud. Rashford doesn't do enough to try to stop Oxlade-Chamberlian getting a cross in and the midfielder's cross to the back post finds the striker, who powers a header past De Gea from six yards.

89 min GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal (Giroud)

88 min Sanchez is having to drop deep to try to get his team going but so far, it's not making any difference. Arsenal are having more of the ball but United have everyone defending in their own half.

85 min SUBSTITUTION! That's the end of the afternoon for Mata, who is replaced by the more defensively-minded Schneiderlin. The Spaniard's out in another shift for his side today.

80 min CHANCE! United should be two ahead! It's the unlikely combination of Blind and Rojo which nearly leads to a goal. Blind's excellent cross found his defensive teammate at the back post but he sent his header wide of the far post.

77 min That was an opening for Arsenal but they haven't made the most of it. Sanchez's inswinging delivery was a good one but Giroud failed to read the pass and the ball went harmlessly out for a goal kick.

73 min SUBSTITUTION! Wenger finally makes a change and it's Olivier Giroud who comes on for Elneny. That sees Ramsey go into the middle.

71 min Arsenal have offered nothing whatsoever in this second half but they are starting to probe a bit more now. They need to because United are only growing in confidence.

68 min United take the lead at Old Trafford and it has to be said, it's fully deserved, They have been much better since the introduction of Rooney and they mark it with a fine goal through Mata. Pogba played in Herrera and the midfielder was able to put the ball into the path of Mata who placed the ball into the bottom corner from 12 yards.

68 min GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (Mata)

64 min SUBSTITUTION! Blind replaces Darmian at left-back. I'm not sure if the Italian has a knock or whether Mourinho is being wary over his yellow card.

63 min SUBSTITUTION! Martial is the man to make way for Rooney. I'm surprised by that - Martial has been United's best player in this half. It appears that Blind will also be coming on.

62 min This has descended into a really poor contest, truth be told. There's very little happening aside from United keeping hold of possession and doing nothing with their final ball. Can Rooney liven things up?

59 min It's not going to be long before we see Wayne Rooney. He's currently involved in a chat with Mourinho on the touchline.

56 min Walcott and Sanchez combine to win Arsenal a corner - it's their first bright spot of the second half. Koscielny is involved in a wrestling match with Jones but the United defender does well to ensure Koscielny's header goes wide.

54 min It's all United but frustration is building inside Old Trafford. It results in Carrick - usually so calm on the ball - shooting from 30 yards but he scuffs his attempt and it goes wide.

51 min Rashford hasn't had much change out of this Arsenal defence but after the ball falls to him in the penalty area, he fancies his chance of finding the far corner. Mustafi is in his way, however, and throws himself towards the ball to make an excellent block.

49 min SHOT! Martial eases Jenkinson out of the way before embarking on a run directly at the Arsenal defence. However, his effort is poor, which the ball running through slowly to Cech.

47 min It takes just 37 seconds for Arsenal to win a corner at the start of this second half. The decision is made to play it short and Elneny delivers the ball towards the back post but it's an easy claim for De Gea.


The half-time whistle goes at Old Trafford and we remain goalless. United will feel aggrieved not to have won a penalty but they are also fortunate to still have 11 men on the pitch after a risky challenge from Darmian when already on a booking. You feel as though both teams will need to change something in order to win this match.


45+1 min HALF TIME: Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal

45 min Arsenal are ending the half with plenty of possession but they aren't doing a lot with it. I think that's it for the first period. There will be one minute of added-on time.

41 min SAVES! United are starting to build a head of steam and a lot of their best work is coming through Valencia. He provides the impetus for his side to work the ball around on the edge of the area before Martial forces Cech to tip his shot over the crossbar. Moments later, the French attacker had another long-range effort saved by Cech but on this occasion, it was straight at the Arsenal goalkeeper.

39 min SHOT! Elneny is the latest midfielder to try his luck from distance but like with Coquelin and Herrera, it's never threatening the goal.

37 min CHANCE! We have our first proper save of the match and it comes from Cech, who dives to his left to deny Mata with the Spaniard's 20 yard strike on its way into the bottom corner. It's a comfortable intervention but one which was needed.

35 min HUGE appeals for a penalty from United and it's looks clumsy from Monreal. Valencia turns the left back and runs into the box and the Spaniard puts an arm across the right-back. You can argue that there wasn't enough contact but Monreal shouldn't be putting his arm in that position. Mourinho is furious - that's an understatement.

33 min Mateo Darmian - what are you doing? He's just flew into a tackle with Jenkinson - studs up - and failed to win the ball. In all honesty, he should be walking off the pitch with a second yellow card but the referee decides a talking to is sufficient.

30 min SHOT! That's somewhat ambitious from Herrera. Arsenal only clear a corner to the edge of the area but the Spaniard's volley - much like Coquelin's effort six minutes ago - is always heading over the crossbar.

28 min Since I criticised Arsenal's lack of attacking intent, they have been the better team. They are managing to free up space for the likes of Ozil and Sanchez to try to work their magic and although it hasn't paid off, they are now creating openings for their teammates.

25 min BOOKING! Darmian probably deserves a booking for his facial hair alone but his name is taken by the referee for a lunge on Walcott.

24 min SHOT! Coquelin has never scored for Arsenal but that doesn't stop him attempting a volley from 250 yards. In all fairness to the Frenchman, it's a decent strike but it is always going a few yards over the crossbar.

22 min Aside from Sanchez, Arsenal's attacking quartet have barely touched the ball. Ramsey looks wasted on the left, Ozil is getting no change out of Carrick and Walcott is anonymous. The Gunners need to change something because this make-shift United backline are not having to do much.

19 min What a cross from Rashford. It's not his first of the afternoon either. The ball just evades Pogba and Martial but Pogba was in an offside position anyway.

16 min BOOKING! That's the first of what I expect to be many yellow cards this afternoon as Sanchez lunges in late on Herrera. It's not as bad as the United midfielder made out but it's deserving of a booking.

15 min Mourinho will be desperately disappointed with his forwards here. Pogba did superb down the right flank before drilling a low cross into the six-yard area but Mata, Martial and Rashford were all by the penalty spot. If one of them had made a run, they could have been rewarded.

12 min The pace of Valencia is causing Arsenal the most problems so far. It's a mis-match with Monreal and his cross into the area on this occasion is a good one. Unfortunately for United, Mustafi is able to get a good foot in to clear the danger.

10 min Sanchez is playing with heavy strapping on his right thigh but he's putting in a significant amount of work in these early stages. After a long-haul flight and a niggle to for stronger leg, it's not exactly ideal for the Chilean.

7 min CHANCE! It's been all United but Arsenal look extremely lively on the break and they soon win a corner when a Sanchez strike is deflected over the crossbar. The Chilean then gets a chance when the ball is fired back into the penalty area but after meeting Walcott's flick, he heads well wide from six yards. HUGE chance.

5 min SHOT! It's Mata who takes responsibility but his curling effort towards the far post goes just wide. I think Cech had it covered.

4 min Herrera wins the cheapest of free kicks around 25 yards from goal but United won't care. This is a chance for Pogba or Mata to get a shot on goal.

3 min It's already high-octane stuff. Arsenal are pressing the United defence back when they have the ball while United are all over Arsenal when the ball is in the opposite final third. I hope we get 90 minutes of this.

1 min United get us started.

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