Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

45 min: Welbeck is fouled three or four yards outside the box by Blind – chance for an equaliser here ...

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2m ago 14:49
45 min: Rashford, faced with Koscielny, goes on a run but can’t beat the centre-back. He had a good option or two to his left. I think we’ll let him off.

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4m ago 14:47
42 min: Perfect timing, that, for Arsenal – who had looked so flat. Now it’s United who could probably use the whistle.

Nakapanya said:

sioni ni kwa jinsi gani Man Utd atatoka mechi hii bila kipigo.So sad

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DullyJr said:

Leo mwafa

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Mnaeza kurudia kuandika mlichoandika?

45+2 min: Another Arsenal corner now, and a chance – the ball pings off Schneiderlin and someone, not sure who, spirits it away from the line!

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2.51pm 14:51
45+1 min: No dice. Ozil’s effort hits the wall; Sanchez’s follow-up ricochets off Depay for a corner. Rashford clears that – the boy’s put a shift in!

Half-time: Manchester United 2-1 Arsenal

What an absorbing half. United, who grew into things as the game went on, scored twice in a matter of minutes through the irrepressible Rashford, fine finishes both. Welbeck replied for a well out of sorts Arsenal, and we have one heck of a second period awaiting us now.

From James Bolle: “Loved Welbeck’s reaction to his goal - he wheeled away to celebrate, then seemed to remember where he was and decided against it, opting for a jog to halfway and a couple of muted high fives. But not in a showy “I’m not celebrating” way. The best non-celebration celebration I’ve ever seen. #welbz”

Thank you for the correct spelling of [HASHTAG]#welbz[/HASHTAG].

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5m ago 09:59
From Scott Stricker: “I’m concerned that the only Walcott touch I can remember is when he gave the ball away in the buildup to the first goal.”

Such potential though.

Do we think Giroud might make hay in the second half, were he to be introduced? Get him on for Walcott? Arsenal’s goal, and a couple of subsequent flurries, certainly suggested that United’s makeshift defence isn’t the brightest in the air.

47 min: Replays apparently showed a Rashford handball in that late off-the-line skirmish at the end of the first half. United might have got a bit lucky, but I don’t think Arsenal can worry too much about luck here. They need to improve. Meantime, Rashford is down and receiving treatment...

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3m ago 15:07
Peeeeep! Second half underway

United, from right to left, kick off.

47 min: Replays apparently showed a Rashford handball in that late off-the-line skirmish at the end of the first half. United might have got a bit lucky, but I don’t think Arsenal can worry too much about luck here. They need to improve. Meantime, Rashford is down and receiving treatment...

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3m ago 15:07
Peeeeep! Second half underway

United, from right to left, kick off.

53 min: Walcott crosses usefully enough from the right after getting on the end of a superb switch, but nobody is there. Then Sanchez runs along the edge of the box but his right-footer is blocked. United are getting sucked right back though.

60 min: United have got a grip now after that ominous Arsenal start, although you suspect they’ll be confined to counters. Walcott is caught on the ball again; it must be Giroud time soon.

Vp hatujafunga tu

61 min: Depay cuts in and thwacks in another shot. Cech saves well, although can’t grab it cleanly.

Sijui kama tutapona

63 min: A cute one-two on the edge of the box between Depay and Rashford doesn’t come off, but United are having a good spell at the moment. Here comes Giroud though! He does, indeed, come on for Walcott – who I’m afraid has been really sub-par.

hereraaaaa⚽

mamamammmaaaeeeeeeeee mke ni mkeeeee tuuuuuuuuu

Kama mfupa kwa yanga laaaaainiiiii

1m ago 15:32
Goal! Manchester United 3-2 Arsenal (Ozil 69)

But this ain’t over! De Gea saves well after Welbeck takes down and shoots from a Sanchez cross. Ozil is first to the rebound, hitting the ball into the ground and into the unguarded goal. Can Arsenal get into gear now? Elneny has replaced Coquelin, another who has been poor today.

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3m ago 15:31
69 min: It should be said that United, for all the criticism they’ve had, have been as entertaining as you like today.

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3m ago 15:30
68 min: Nearly four. Depay and Rashford this time do link up to good effect, the former homing in on goal before Bellerin intervenes just in time.

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4m ago 15:29
67 min: Fair play to United, really. When Arsenal kept possession for the half’s opening minutes you feared for them but they got themselves right back into it and were in the ascendancy before the goal. This, so far, has been desperately half-hearted stuff from Arsenal.

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5m ago 15:28
Goal! Manchester United 3-1 Arsenal (Herrera 65)

The two-goal lead is restored! Mata surges into the United half and reverses the ball to the right, where Rashford goes on another run. Gabriel holds him up but he keeps possession, waits maturely and lays across to the onrushing Herrera, inside the ‘D’. We’ll never know if the diving Cech would have saved his shot – it takes a bit deflection off Koscielny’s chest and gives him no chance at all!

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9m ago 15:25
63 min: A cute one-two on the edge of the box between Depay and Rashford doesn’t come off, but United are having a good spell at the moment. Here comes Giroud though! He does, indeed, come on for Walcott – who I’m afraid has been really sub-par.

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10m ago 15:23
61 min: Depay cuts in and thwacks in another shot. Cech saves well, although can’t grab it cleanly.

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11m ago 15:22
60 min: United have got a grip now after that ominous Arsenal start, although you suspect they’ll be confined to counters. Walcott is caught on the ball again; it must be Giroud time soon.

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13m ago 15:20
58 min: Fosu-Mensah is not, as far as I know, a full back by trade at all but has slotted into Rojo’s spot.

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15m ago 15:18
56 min: The free-kick, from the Ozil foul, is finally taken and goes all the way through to Schneiderlin at the back post. His shot is blocked by Sanchez.

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16m ago 15:18
56 min: Rojo is down, and it doesn’t look good. The ex-Ajax youngster Tim Fosu-Mensah replaces him for his debut, and United’s team gets yet younger!

73 min: Elneny is booked for a hack on Depay, his first contribution of the game. The temperature has raised a notch. Might be in for quite a final 20 minutes here.

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3.35pm 15:35
73 min: Equaliser for Spurs against Swansea. Why not go dual-screen?

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3.34pm 15:34
71 min: Fisticuffs as Ramsey, having been clipped by Herrera, pushes him to the floor for no obvious reason. There’s a long delay, howls of “Off! Off! Off!”, but Craig Pawson eventually shows a yellow card. Herrera is booked too. Was Ramsey lucky?