Manchester United Secures Victory Over Arsenal Despite Pogba Red Card
Manchester United defeated Arsenal at the Emirates stadium thanks to Antonio Valencia's opener and a brace from Jesse Lingard. A goal from Alexandre Lacazette and a Paul Pogba red card seemed to give Arsenal routes back into the game despite the Red Devils being 2-0 up within the opening 11 minutes.
During the build up to the game there was speculation that Jose Mourinho would set his side up defensively as he has done when playing a number of the other top six sides away from home. However, United were ahead within four minutes thanks to their captain Antonio Valencia
The Ecuadorian won possession and played a clever one-two with Paul Pogba before drilling the ball in between Petr Cech's legs to silence the home fans.
The Red Devils soon doubled their advantage, Romelu Lukaku picked out Anthony Martial, who played a beautifully weighted pass into Jesse Lingard, the England international then fired the ball off the post and into the back of the net to finish an outstanding counter-attack from the away side.
Shkodran Mustafi was withdrawn due to injury and Arsene Wenger took the opportunity to make an attacking substitution and sent on Alex Iwobi in the 15th minute. This seemed to give Arsenal a new lease of life as the Gunners started to dominate the game.
Arsenal's best chance of the first-half came in the 33rd minute when Alexandre Lacazette saw his close-range effort saved by David de Gea, the ball then bounced off the bar before falling to Granit Xhaka who whipped a low effort inches wide of the United goal.
Somehow through a combination of outstanding defensive blocks and a number of quality David de Gea saves, Manchester United managed to get to the interval without conceding. The first-half will go down as one of the best halves of football seen in the Premier League over recent years, with over 15 attempts registered between the two clubs.
Arsenal finally got their much deserved break through four minutes into the second-half, Alexis Sanchez's cross found Aaron Ramsey in the Red Devils' penalty box and the Welshman brilliantly touched the ball down for Lacazette. The Frenchman clinically finished the chance to give Arsenal a real opportunity of securing at least a point from the game.
However, it was Manchester United who scored the match's next goal. Paul Pogba played a pin point low cross into the path of Jesse Lingard in the 63rd minute and for the third time in his last two matches the winger was celebrating a goal.
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In the 74th minute the game produced another talking point when Paul Pogba was sent off for a late challenge on Arsenal fullback Hector Bellerin. Pogba clearly disagreed with the decision and protested before eventually leaving the pitch.
To their credit the remaining ten Manchester United players withstood a surge of late pressure from Arsene Wenger's team to secure a famous away victory for the Red Devils.
