Declan Rice’s superb strike earned us a draw at Old Trafford after we were forced to come from behind in the second half.
After controlling the first half, we somehow found ourselves behind at the break after Bruno Fernandes bent a free-kick into our net in stoppage-time, but an end-to-end second half saw David Raya keep us in touch after he made some excellent saves.
And that paved the way for Rice to curl in an excellent goal on 74 minutes to get us back on level terms, with some late heroics from both goalkeepers ensuring the spoils were shared.
First half setback
After our goalscoring exploits in Eindhoven five days earlier, this encounter was completely different and the opening half especially was an extremely cagey affair. We enjoyed the plenty of possession and territory with the game played almost exclusively in the United half, but chances to find the net were few and far between for both sides.
We created virtually all of the dangerous moments in the first 45, and Mikel Merino dragged the game’s first effort wide after nine minutes before Martin Odegaard tried his luck from 25 yards but Andre Onana made a routine stop. An incisive Gabriel pass then picked out Leandro Trossard to let fly from the edge of the box, but the Belgian was just off-target.
Having seen West Ham United and Nottingham Forest frustrate us in our last two league fixtures, United’s gameplan was just to sit back, soak up pressure and defend with a very low block, and they didn’t conjure up a sight of goal on the counter until first-half stoppage-time. However, they made it count.
Alejandro Garnacho latched onto a loose ball and charged toward the box before being brought down by Trossard 20 yards from goal. Fernandes took control of the situation, and the United captain stepped up and curled a shot over our wall and into Raya’s net to snatch an undeserved lead heading into the interval.
Raya to the rescue
Things continued in the same pattern following the restart, Odegaard forced Onana to tip a fizzing shot over from the edge of the box and from the resulting corner, our skipper picked out an unmarked Rice in a similar position but his attempted volley flew well over.
10 minutes into the half, the Red Devils nearly picked our pockets again when they sprang another counter. A pinpoint cross by Garnacho landed perfectly for an undetected Noussair Mazraoui at the back post, and the full-back guided his attempt on target but Raya stuck out a leg and brilliantly managed to deflect the ball to safety.
And our number one was called upon again moments later when Garnacho saw a centre into the area deflect off Thomas Partey and fall into Joshua Kirkzee’s path who attempted to backheel it into the net, but Raya snuffed out the danger.
Declan steps up
And those stops were vital as on 74 minutes we managed to get level again. Jurrien Timber collected a pass from Odegaard and edged into the area. He picked out Rice who took aim and first-time drilled an unstoppable shot past Onana and into the net for his fourth goal of the campaign.
Our tails were up again and the fit-again Gabriel Martinelli came close to turning the game on its head when he was well picked out by Merino, sped into the box and blasted a shot at Onana who managed to push it aroud his near post, but the game was on a knifedge and two moments seconds apart proved it.
Firstly, some sloppy defending saw the ball drop into Rasmus Hojlund’s path and he looked set to tuck past Raya but Rice made a perfect last-ditch sliding challenge to hook the ball off his toes, and then we moved it quickly upfield and Kieran Tierney found a well-placed Trossard who screwed just wide.
As the game entered injury-time, Onana made a good low save to prevent Odegaard sneaking a shot into the bottom corner, but Raya bettered it when Hojlund pulled the ball back for Fernandes to shoot, and Raya made the block before scrambling back towards his goalline to hook the spinning ball away to ensure we left the north-west with a point.
Facts and stats
Manchester United are winless in their last six games against us across all competitions (D2 L4); their longest run without beating us since April 1999 (also a run of six).
The Red Devils have only won five of the last 13 times they’ve hosted us across all competitions (D5 L3).
This was the first time since December 1 that United found themselves ahead at half time of a Premier League game, ending a run of 14 consecutive matches in which they had failed to do so.
Bruno Fernandes has been directly involved in 25+ goals in each of the last three seasons for Manchester United (12 goals, 13 assists this season); one of only three players to have done so for a Premier League club in 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25, along with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.
Fernandes has scored two goals from direct free kicks in the Premier League this season (v Everton and Arsenal); the first time a Manchester United player has netted more than one in a league campaign since 2013/14 (3 by Wayne Rooney and 2 by Juan Mata).
Declan Rice has been directly involved in three goals in five games against Manchester United as an Arsenal player (two goals, one assist); his joint-most against an opponent since joining (3 v Crystal Palace and West Ham). They're also the only side he's scored more than once against for his current club (2).
What's next
We host PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday at Emirates Stadium, taking a 7-1 first-leg lead into that tie. Then on Sunday, Chelsea are the next visitors to our home for a Premier League fixture, before we head into the final international break of the domestic season.
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