As It Happened: Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

Good afternoon and welcome to Nigerianeye's live text coverage of the Premier League clash between
Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford.


This match represents the final time that Arsene Wenger will visit Old Trafford as Arsenal manager, and it is a game the visitors need to win if they are to keep any hopes of qualifying for the Champions League via the Premier League alive.
United, meanwhile, could move five points clear of Liverpool in race for second place with a victory today as Jose Mourinho comes up against one of his oldest rivals Wenger for potentially the final time.
Make sure you don't miss a moment of the action courtesy of our minute-by-minute updates below.

OFFICIAL LINE-UPS

MANCHESTER UNITED: De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Young; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Lingard, Lukaku, Sanchez
MAN UTD SUBS: Pereira, Rojo, Fellaini, Mata, McTominay, Martial, Rashford


ARSENAL: Ospina; Bellerin, Chambers, Mavropanos, Kolasinac; Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Iwobi; Nelson, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan
ARSENAL SUBS: Cech, Holding, Monreal, Osei-Tutu, Willock, Welbeck, Nketiah















It is somehow fitting that a stadium which has seen such highs and such lows for Arsene Wenger ends with one final reminder of 'Fergie time' as Fellaini steals the win late on for Manchester United after Henrikh Mkhitaryan had earlier cancelled out Pogba's opener. Thanks for joining our live coverage of the match!

It is harsh on Arsenal, who played well and deserved something from the game, but ultimately that is now six consecutive Premier League defeats on the road.

90+5 minFULL TIME: Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

90+2 min Oh that is so gutting for Wenger on his final visit to this stadium!

It is a classic Fellaini tactic as Young whips the ball into the big man, who produces a very good header which sneaks past Ospina and just inside the far post!

90+2 min GOAL! Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal (Marouane Fellaini)

90+1 min There will be four minutes of added time at the end of this match.

89 min DISALLOWED GOAL! United think they have a late winner here, but after a long delay the linesman's flag goes up! A cross into the box is met by Fellaini, whose header crashes against the post before rebounding in off an unwitting Rashford. Old Trafford goes wild as Arsenal look for the offside flag, which is eventually raised.

87 min Smalling does really well here as he just about holds off Welbeck, showing just enough pace to beat the Arsenal man to the ball and knock it back to De Gea.

85 min Arsenal are struggling to get out at the moment, with their attacking players on the fringes right now. United are looking the much more likely to go on and get a winner here.

83 min Ambitious effort from Valencia here as he races on to a deep cross from Young and tries a first-time volley which flies a long way over the crossbar.

81 min Wenger will be pretty pleased with how his side have played today given that he made eight changes. They could very well still go on to win this game, which would be a huge result all things considered.

79 min Almost a chance for Martial as Sanchez picks out the winger on the edge of the box with a clever corner, but Martial fluffs his lines and puts a tame effort well wide.

78 min Just over 10 minutes remaining in this match now, and this game is still there for the taking. It has been a fairly pedestrian game, and if either side can really up their intensity in the closing stages then that could be the difference.

76 min ARSENAL SUB: Ospina is still receiving treatment for that, but that doesn't stop Arsenal from making their third change as Joe Willock replaces Mkhitaryan.

74 min Valencia swings a dangerous cross into the box which Ospina comes for but never looks like getting to. Chambers wins it, and Ospina is then fortunate to get a free kick from Fellaini.

72 min SHOT! Fellaini collects a cross on the edge of the box and it sits up nicely for him to go for goal, but he cannot keep his half-volley down.

71 min Mavropanos does well here as he stretches every sinew to nod the ball behind after Martial had looked to pick out Fellaini at the back post.

69 min SAVE! Welbeck nicks the ball off Fellaini in midfield before lashing a powerful effort towards goal from range, but it is right down the throat of De Gea.

68 min This is a million miles away from some of the past editions of this fixture in terms of intensity - understandably for Arsenal considering their big game on Thursday, but there isn't much excuse for United, who have been very flat.

66 min Those two Arsenal changes should actually improve the team with two first-team players coming on, so it will be interesting to see whether the Gunners can raise their game in the closing stages here. This match is there for the taking.

64 min ARSENAL SUB: And one more change for the Gunners sees the injured Kolasinac come off for Nacho Monreal.

64 min MAN UTD SUBS: The hosts also make two changes as Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial come on in place of Lingard and Herrera.

64 min ARSENAL SUB: Change for Arsenal here as Danny Welbeck replaces Nelson.

62 min This is better from United now. They have upped the tempo and are looking a lot more threatening now as they begin to apply some pressure for the first time in this second half.

61 min A small slice of history for Mkhitaryan!

59 min Arsenal have been the better side in this opening 15 minutes of the second half, and all game United have been struggling for intensity really. It looked as though many of their players thought that they would be able to cruise to a 1-0 win in this second half.

57 min Here is that Mkhitaryan equaliser, which all came from some complacent play in the middle of the park...

55 min SHOT! Mkhitaryan is starting to fancy his chances here now. He carries the ball down the left channel before cutting inside onto his right and curling an effort high and wide of the target.

54 min The resulting delivery almost falls on the head of Rashford, who manages to divert it goalwards, but it doesn't make it as far as the keeper in a crowded area.

53 min Almost a quick response for United as the hosts up the intensity. A cross makes its way through to Young at the back post, but his half-volley is blocked behind for a corner.

51 min Arsenal level things up six minutes into the second half, and it is Mkhitaryan who returns to Old Trafford and scores!

It is all very messy in the middle of the park, but Arsenal come out with it and Mkhitaryan collects the ball just outside the area. Lindelof is not quick enough to close him down, and Mkhitaryan is able to fire his low effort through the defender's legs and into the bottom corner.

51 min GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal (Henrikh Mkhitaryan)

50 min MAN UTD SUB: Lukaku will not be able to continue here and he is replaced by Marcus Rashford.

49 min Concern for United here as Lukaku goes down and stays down after a challenge from Mavropanos.

48 min Good burst forward from Maitland-Niles as he drives straight at the Manchester United defence, but he doesn't catch his effort right and cannot trouble De Gea.

46 min KICKOFF: Manchester United get us back underway for the second half!


Both sides have played some good football and it has been evenly-matched for the most part, and despite going into the break behind Wenger will feel that his side are still very much in this game.


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

45 min There will be one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

44 min CHANCE! Aubameyang is on the other end of the cross this time as he swings a ball into the box which Nelson meets with a diving header. He gets his timing wrong, though, and puts it wide from 12 yards.

43 min All things considered, Wenger will be relatively pleased with how his young side have fared today, at least up to the final third. They are still very much in this game.

41 min OFF THE POST! Out of nothing, United strike the post! Ashley Young collects the ball on the left and creates a yard of space to get a cross in, but he mis-hits it and it instead flies towards goal, crashing off the outside of the post.

40 min Kevin Friend gives Xhaka a warning and tells him to think about his actions after the already-booked midfielder was penalised for a handball. The last thing Arsenal need here is to go down to 10 men.

38 min Arsenal have shown signs of their youthful team at times in this match, but an equaliser would not be harsh on Manchester United here. The Gunners need to be more decisive in the final third, but they are playing some nice football.

36 min CHANCE! Big chance for Arsenal as Aubameyang finds a bit of space inside the box to get his head to Bellerin's cross. The striker doesn't attack it with any conviction, though, and his tame header is simple for De Gea to collect.

32 min Bellerin gets away with one here! A cross to the back post looks simple for him and he just tries to help it on its way, but he gets it all wrong and is fortunate that it inadvertently proves to be a great touch!

30 min We're half an hour into this match now, and here is the moment which separates the two sides. There was a stroke of luck involved, but also some poor Arsenal defending when Pogba was striding forward...

28 min Once again this is wasteful from Arsenal as a neat passing move sends Bellerin down the right channel. Aubameyang has peeled off his man at the back post and it just needs a pass across the face of goal to find him, but Bellerin gets it all wrong and sends his cross straight into the arms of De Gea.

27 min Arsenal are getting into some decent positions, and they do so again here as Aubameyang collects the ball on the edge of the area, but he cannot get a shot away and another good attacking platform goes begging.

25 min Pogba's resulting free kick hits the wall before Sanchez is quickest to the loose ball, but the former Arsenal man is offside.

24 min YELLOW CARD! Xhaka is the first name in the book - no surprise there - as he clips the heels of Lingard to prevent an attack.

22 min It is worth noting that Manchester United have won every single one of the 19 Premier League matches in which they have scored first this season, and there aren't many signs of that changing so far here.

20 min CLOSE! Arsenal almost produce a quick response as Maitland-Niles back-heels the ball into the path of Mkhitaryan, who drills his low effort just past the far post. He probably should have done better there, but it was a lovely team move from the visitors.

18 min The Manchester United fans are now chanting that they want Arsene Wenger to stay. The Arsenal fans respond with a chant of "Arsene Wenger, he won the league here."

16 min United have the breakthrough as Pogba is left with a simple finish after Bellerin had done brilliantly to deny Sanchez.

Pogba himself really kickstarted the move by driving forward from midfield before giving the ball out to Lukaku, who shapes a beauty of a cross to the back post. Sanchez looks certain to score and does nothing wrong with his header, but Bellerin's last-ditch slide diverts the ball against the post. However, it then rebounds straight to Pogba, who reacts well to turn it into an empty net.

16 min GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (Paul Pogba)

14 min Arsenal have just been a little sloppy in possession at times so far today, and United are controlling the possession right now. The hosts have Arsenal pinned back in their own half.

12 min Matic tries to feed the ball into the feet of Lukaku with pace, but the striker's ambitious attempt to flick it round the corner for Lingard only sends the ball into the arms of Ospina.

10 min United will probably be the happier of the two teams after the opening 10 minutes, but there hasn't been too much to shout about in terms of goalscoring chances so far.

8 min Lindelof lines up a shot from all of 35 yards out and, while the effort itself isn't great, it bounces kindly for Sanchez, who picks out a clever pass to Lingard. The United man in is space inside the box but looks for the pass, and his low ball into the box is cut out.

7 min Here is that moment just before kickoff when the Premier League's two longest-serving managers met up at Old Trafford one last time...

5 min Mkhitaryan almost gets in behind down the left channel, but his low ball into the box is poor and comfortably cleared away.

4 min CHANCE! The first sight of goal falls the way of United as Xhaka gives possession away in a dangerous area. A cross is only cleared as far as Matic, whose mis-hit shot falls kindly for Pogba. the Frenchman has a bit of space inside the area, but he snatches at his effort and skews it well wide.

3 min Sanchez has been involved quite a few times in the opening exchanges, but he is on the end of a painful challenge from Xhaka here. The Arsenal man is slightly fortunate not to go into the book there.

1 min KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Arsenal get us underway at Old Trafford!