Cristiano Ronaldo makes his point to Ralf Rangnick
JUMPING FOR JOY: Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring Manchester United's winning goal against Arsenal. Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images
The 800th and 801st goals of Cristiano Ronaldo’s extraordinary career ensured that Manchester United’s new manager Ralf Rangnick will take over a resurgent and winning squad when he officially becomes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s interim successor on Friday.
But if Rangnick, watching from the stands as Michael Carrick took caretaker charge for the last time, has doubts over what veteran Ronaldo can still offer his team, the Portuguese gave him food for thought, first after 52 minutes.
Diogo Dalot’s smart ball forward had found Marcus Rashford and allowed the England winger to pick out Ronaldo who finished clinically from eight yards, his 11th goal in 16 games since re-joining United.
That handed his side a 2-1 lead, after countryman Bruno Fernandes had equalised just before the interval, but United barely held the advantage for two minutes before Martin Odegaard levelled for the Gunners after 54 minutes.
Thomas Partey’s cross-field pass found Gabriel Martinelli on the right and the Brazilian picked out Odegaard to place a magnificent finish past the diving de Gea from just inside the United area.
But Ronaldo would have the final say on proceedings, after 70 minutes and an unnecessary trip by Odegaard on Fred which referee Martin Atkinson deemed a penalty after a VAR review.
The penalty finish, straight down the middle of the Arsenal goal, clinched a first home league win since early September for the Reds and, in case he needed to, also allowed Ronaldo to remind Rangnick of his considerable skill set.
Yet, in keeping with events since that day at Old Trafford, the win would be far from routine and the opening goal was riddled with controversy, as young England winger Emile Smith Rowe fired Arsenal in front.
The goal came from Odegaard’s right-wing corner, headed out by Harry Maguire as his goalkeeper David de Gea was tripped up by United team mate Fred and collapsed to the ground.
In the split second that followed, Arsenal played on with Mohamed Elneny touching the ball to Smith Rowe who volleyed in majestically from just outside the area with de Gea still lying on his goalline.
As the keeper required lengthy treatment, United furiously argued their case to Atkinson who had not blown his whistle as soon and the United keeper fell to the ground and, therefore, had no option but to allow the goal.
It was a bizarre set of circumstances which summed up the combination of bad luck and bad play that have plagued United at home this season and which, ultimately, cost Solskjaer his job.
After a draw with Everton, humiliating home defeats by Liverpool and Manchester City, Smith Rowe’s goal was also the ninth consecutive United had conceded at Old Trafford in the league without a response - their worst such run since November 1961.
But the goal was no more than the Gunners deserved for an ambitious start to the game which saw Marcus Rashford forced to clear a Ben White header off his line inside the opening minute.
Yet, to their credit, United have responded well to Carrick’s leadership, in a Champions League win at Villarreal and the weekend draw at Chelsea, and did likewise in the caretaker’s third game in charge.
Ronaldo threatened on a couple of occasions, without forcing England goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into meaningful action, but two minutes before the interval Fernandes struck, with his first United goal since early September, to equalise.
Ben White might have dealt with the danger better, hitting a routine clearance straight to Harry Maguire who instantly played the ball to team mate Jadon Sancho.
The England winger cut in from the left flank and played a short ball to Fred who moved the ball on, intelligently, for Fernandes to stab it past the diving Ramsdale from eight yards.
Ragnick’s work permit details were all ironed out yesterday morning, freeing the German to watch the game from the Old Trafford directors’ box and talk to his new players before the game, although the preparation for last night was left strictly to Carrick.
But impressed as the new United manager would have been by his team’s response to falling behind so controversially, he had de Gea to thank for keeping his team in front in the opening moments of the second half.
Another Arsenal corner presented yet more problems for the home side as defender Gabriel connected with an untidy header which drew an amazing reflex save from the Spaniard before Elneny volleyed wide from the rebound.
United responded quickly, with Ronaldo capitalising on a Partey error and being denied by Ramsdale who was also required to show solid handling from a fierce hit from 25 yards from Rashford soon after.
It was the start of a riveting passage of play that saw the teams exchange goals within two minutes of each other and continue what was becoming a phenomenal game.
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