Watch how Arsenal came from behind to defeat Manchester Utd in a pre-season friendly
Arsenal staged an impressive comeback to defeat Manchester United 2-1 at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, with Gabriel Martinelli netting a superb winner.
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Rasmus Hojlund gave United an early lead, but Gabriel Jesus finished off a neat passing move to draw Arsenal level. Martinelli then came off the bench to slice through the United defence and secure a deserved first win for the Gunners during their time in the United States.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta opted for a more experienced lineup, selecting Leandro Trossard, Martin Odegaard, and Gabriel Jesus, while giving youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Ayden Heaven a chance to shine.
However, Arsenal got off to the worst possible start when, in the ninth minute, Marcus Rashford clipped a ball down the left flank for Hojlund, who outpaced Heaven to push into the area. Faced one-on-one with Karl Hein, the Danish striker fired through the keeper’s legs to give United the lead.
Hojlund looked sharp in the early exchanges and nearly doubled his and his team’s lead a few minutes later. After Aaron Wan-Bissaka sped down the right and sent in a low cross, Hojlund could only steer it over the bar, tweaking a hamstring in the process and subsequently being withdrawn.
That injury halted United’s early momentum, and Arsenal capitalised by drawing level in the 26th minute. Trossard fed Nwaneri on the edge of the area, who sent a pinpoint pass towards the back post where Jesus tapped past a helpless Andre Onana.
Arsenal grew in confidence as the first half progressed, but couldn’t find another goal before the break. The best opportunity came when Mason Mount tested Hein with a fierce blast, but the Estonian stopper pushed it to safety, keeping the score level at the interval.
In the second half, Onana made a fine save to keep Arsenal from taking the lead. Odegaard and Trossard combined well, with the latter’s shot towards the top corner brilliantly tipped over by the Cameroonian keeper.
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Arteta introduced Gabriel, Kai Havertz, and Martinelli for their first minutes of pre-season, and Martinelli made an immediate impact. Constantly terrorising the opposition defence down the left flank, he made the game’s biggest contribution with 10 minutes to go. Picking up possession on the touchline, he sped towards the box, beat James Scanlon, and drilled the ball through Will Fish’s legs to find the net, sending the largely Arsenal-supporting crowd home happy.
United thought they had equalised in stoppage time when Jonny Evans headed in, but the goal was disallowed after a couple of attackers bundled into Hein, securing the win for Arsenal.
Following the game, a pre-decided penalty shootout took place, which saw United triumph 4-3. After Fabio Vieira and Scott McTominay netted the opening two kicks, Onana made an excellent save to deny Havertz. Jonny Evans then netted from 12 yards, and Jakub Kiwor steered his effort wide. Ethan Wheatley also missed, giving Arsenal hope, but after Martinelli, Christian Eriksen, and Gabriel all scored, Jadon Sancho tucked away the decisive penalty to give United a crumb of comfort.
Watch the highlights below;
Watch the goals here, 🚨 Arsenal 2 -1 Man Utd | #ARSMUN #arteta #nwaneri #arsenal #martinelli #Jesus pic.twitter.com/xzKTF84EEG
— OLUWABUCHI (@Oluwabuchi) July 28, 2024