A frustrating night at the Emirates Stadium ended in the perfectly executed away performance as the visitors took a 3-1 victory. Set up to play fast, counter attacking football, United let Arsenal have most of the ball and absorbed pressure before two precision breaks led to a two nil lead. Perhaps undeservedly at this point though as Arsenal had much of the opening play and really should have made it count.
We saw it throughout Wenger's latter years as Manager; so much possession and very few actual chances created. Emery's men put together some nice build up play at times, with Ramsey especially having a great forward running and creative opening thirty minutes but after a long pause to a frustrating injury to Sokratis, the tie seemed to swing in United's favour. Their front three of Lukaku, Lingard and Sanchez were playing cheat roles all half long, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And when they did, they scored. One real chance and one goal. The clinical finishing Arsenal so desperately craved. One was quickly followed by a second as another counter from deep in their own half saw Lukaku carry it down the wing where in Arsenal's end it was now a 3 on 2 operation. Two defenders were cut open by a cut back to Lingard to took one touch before slotting it past the diving Cech. Game all but over already. The Gunners did strike back just on the stroke of half time where some good wing play between Kolasinac, Iwobi and Ramsey saw the latter throw a step over and slide the ball through United's area and onto the foot of Aubameyang who tapped it home. A deserved goal from all the possession but again, only one real chance from it all.
Arsenal looked at their brightest to start the second half but it didn't last long. Another (even longer) injury stoppage, saw Koscielny down for seven or eight minutes with a facial injury. The delay once again helped United regroup after Arsenal's good start, and with Xhaka now at centre back, Ozil and Guendouzi in midfield the game restarted. 2-1 was a dangerous scoreline but United eventually scored a third, another counter perfectly executed as the introduced Rashford and Martial linked as the former saw a short (badly) saved by Cech who palmed it straight to the feet of Martial who scored the rebound. 3-1 and game over. A frustrating night that saw Ozil enter preceedings and look to change the way our midfield created play. He had a job to do, he didn't do it and may end up with the usual abuse but who else really did their job? Lacazette had a good, dogged game defensively as he got stuck in all night long but his primary job is to score goals, which he didn't do. Besides the tap in, Aubameyang had a pretty quiet game whilst the enigma of Alex Iwobi continued to frustrate with some good dribbling play followed by some woeful attempts at link up and chance creation.
Ratings and Talking Points
Unai Emery: 6.5
The man in charge changed his XI slightly from the Chelsea win as he brought in Alex Iwobi for Matteo Guendouzi. Although Iwobi is a better dribbler, it wasn't really a necessary change as it meant far more to everyone else in midfield and attack than it did as a one-for-one swap. It meant it was no longer a two up top which ultimately left Aubameyang an in-and-out figure stuck on the flanks. The defence and keeper picked itself apart from Cech being the cup goalie. The other change that may have served us a little better defensively would have been Monreal for Kolasinac. With Bellerin out, Emery probably saw Kolasinac as the best and most likely avenue of forward success but his defensive skills are what ultimately cost us. Monreal is a much more reliable defender who would have suited this game better. He isn't as attack minded which may have hindered us going forward but certainly would have strengthened us at the back. The cheat roles from United's front three meant that within seconds a counter attack could be in full swing, usually catching Kolasinac high up the pitch.
Two of his substitutions were forced and the first was obvious; Mustafi for Sokratis. No change to the shape and a like-for-like. The second (where Ozil was already stripped and ready to come on) saw Guendouzi come on in midfield and Xhaka move to CB. This change may have been better suited to Monreal at centre back and Xhaka staying in midfield. The entrance of Ozil for Iwobi was probably correct as Emery looked for more creativity. But as few changes to the shape and personnel, the better and Monreal is more than capable in central defence for half an hour or so. It would have allowed the same structure in the midfield engine room where both Torreira and Xhaka individually began to tire. But with Ozil and Ramsey behind a now front two in Lacazette and Aubameyang, in a 4-2-2-2 shape, it could have meant that Xhaka and Torreira could have sat deeper to recover a little should the Monreal change been the one made. It wasn't match defining but it was moment defining as Xhaka in CB was caught out a little in United's 3rd goal.
Petr Cech: 5.5
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 5
Sokratis: 6.5
Laurent Koscielny: 6.5
Sead Kolasinac: 5
Granit Xhaka: 6
Lucas Torreira: 6
Aaron Ramsey: 7
ALex Iwobi: 6
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 6.5
Alex Lacazette: 7
Subs
Shkodran Musatfi: 5
Matteo Guendouzi: 4
Mesut Ozil: 4.5
Another Injury Crisis on its Way?
Two more injuries to key centre backs left Unai Emery very short in this one and moved midfielder Granit Xhaka in to fill the void. Mustafi came on first for the stricken Sokratis in the first half, then when Koscielny got caught in the face, he left the field to another injury. Both didn't seem that bad upon impact but Sokratis especially took a while to get up and moving. With a facial injury, the skipper was down for a while but it did walk off and was seemingly with it. No brakes or fractures is likely to mean a fairly quick return to action. Could it be time for young Mavropanos to step up once again?
Two Up The Middle Works Best
Against Chelsea, two out and out strikers was the order of the day and it was extremely successful. Emery's tinkering led to both Lacazette and Aubameyang together but in a slightly different shape as Iwobi was in the XI also. It was a 4-3-1-2 last weekend which Friday night became 4-2-3-1. This may only be a subtle change but it left Aubameyang so deserted in wide areas at times. Lacazette's creative link up play was evident throughout but he needed his strike partner alongside him to really do damage. From wider areas, Aubameyang can be very dangerous but against Chelsea we saw the best of the partnership where both flourished. Although United set up to counter us, they would have done regardless of our formation so Emery should have played to our strengths regardless because his team ended up pretty toothless in front of goal. Changes can sometimes be good but off the back of such a good win against Chelsea (and still being at home), did Emery's changes help? Does he tinker too much?
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