Manchester United Vs Arsenal: Ronaldo stamps his personality on the game

The last night’s big Man United and Arsenal game turned into a sort of a personal statement by Christiano Ronaldo. Especially, the second half was a treat for the eyes of Ronaldo fans.

This was his first game after the Ballon D’or ceremony. Also, this was the first time since 2007 when Ronaldo was not in the limelight of Ballon D’or. A huge controversy on whether Messi deserves the Ballon d’or is also going on. In such a situation a heroic performance from this Portuguese superstar is something very special for his fans to enjoy.

Arsenal came to Old Trafford on Thursday, December 2, 2021, in hope of repeating its last season performance, when they had a 1-0 win over Manchester United.

Also read | Real Madrid vs Athletic Club: Post Match Analysis

In the last night’s game, Arsenal was dominant in the beginning, but United played patiently throughout the game and finally clinched the valuable three points from the gunners. The score sheet was Manchester United 3 - 2 Arsenal when the referee blew his whistle. Ronaldo scored the 800th and 801th goals of his career in this game.

In the 12th minute, Arsenal mid-fielder Thomas Partey took a heavy touch and Fred came in quickly to win it back. He kicked the ball in for Ronaldo whose shot went wide from the edge of the box. This was the first scoring chance for United in the game.

In the very next minute, Smith Rowe of Arsenal scored the first goal for his team. David De Gea ( goalkeeper of United ) was down injured on the goal line after getting hit by the legs of his teammate Fred following an Arsenal corner. Smith Rowe took the opportunity and fired a shot in the back of the net. The referee Martin Atkinson didn't blow the whistle until the goal, therefore the goal stood, as it was Fred who fouled his teammate

In the last minute of the first half, Bruno Fernandes equalised, following a good combination from Jadon Sancho and Fred.

Ronaldo scored the second goal for United at the beginning of the second half. It was Marcus Rushford who assisted the goal for him. Three minutes later Martin Odegard scored for Arsenal. The score was level again. Manchester United needed something special to win the game in those last minutes of the second half. It was Ronaldo again. A special player stood up on a special occasion and scored the final goal. This was a crucial three points for Manchester United who are, as of now, relegated to the seventh position of the table.

In the 5 goal thriller, there were so many things to learn for both the teams. Manchester United depends mostly on its attack these days. They need to figure out a strong defensive configuration. David De Gea is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He saved so many shots at crucial times of the game this season, but he needs a few strong defensive players in front of him. United needs to figure out the position of Victor Lindelof and Alex Telles if they want to perform better in this season.

Arsenal is in the fifth position in the table right now, which is better than what was expected before the beginning of this season. They have only lost against Liverpool and Manchester United this season. Arsenal needs to figure out some ways to perform better against the top teams of the league. The performance of Aubameyang, the captain, has been disappointing in recent times. He only scored 4 goals in 13 games this season. Arsenal will face Everton and Southampton in the upcoming weeks. These games are comparatively easy but they have to find out their strength in forward position.

Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, in the post-match press conference said, “ We deserved much more than what we got. I am disappointed with how we conceded some of the goals. We had some really good periods, getting back in the game but then we threw it away.”

Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United midfielder said,” Today we got a great win, but we cannot stop here and be satisfied. The next game is coming quickly, so we have to keep our heads looking straight and be ready for that one.” On being asked about Ronaldo’s performance he said, “ He is proving game by game, year by year, that he wants to be the best and that is what he did. He does not need anyone to motivate him, he knows how to do it and how to carry on scoring goals.”