Arteta's fluid Arsenal show United that reinvention takes time 

The Gunners may be a work in progress — but as they showed against Chelsea at least there is progress, unlike the stasis at Old Trafford

Lots done, lots more to do: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watched his side bounce back at Stamford Bridge. Picture: Adam Davy/PA Wire.

If Manchester United were watching their next opponents Arsenal here in a crazy game at Stamford Bridge they will have noticed the attacking verve that Ralf Rangnick's side will face at the Emirates on Saturday. But they may also reflect on how long reinvention takes.

Mikel Arteta's team are two years and four months into a new era in which the Spaniard was charged not just with building a new team but with putting together a long-term plan to totally revamp a club that had been snoozing for too long.

Sound familiar, United fans?

This was a remarkable performance that showed, after four defeats in their five previous games, Arsenal do have a plan, even if the road has been bumpy - and do, despite protestations from some critics, want that fourth place which still beckons so tantalisingly in the Premier League.

But such was the nature of the game, in which both sides attacked at will and both defences looked bewildered, it was again clear that this is still a work in progress. Arsenal’s young side were enough of a challenge for an alarmingly wilting Chelsea, certainly, and full of character and youthful exuberance, for sure. But even the staunchest Gunner will admit they are not the final product yet.

That's not to deride a highly positive night for Arsenal, or to say they don't have the ability to snatch a Champions League place. But the overall picture shows Manchester United how long it takes to find redemption.

The vitriol from pundits and former players after United were humiliated by Liverpool at Anfield 24 hours earlier gave Arsenal a taste of what was to come if they had continued their miserable recent form against derby rivals.

"It's no longer anger, it's just sadness," Roy Keane had said after seeing the team he once graced picked apart by a Liverpool side that Rangnick admitted were 'six years ahead' of his side in terms of development.

At least Arsenal are further on than that. Arteta has been there since December 2019 and has already started the process that United will no doubt begin to plot this summer when Erik ten Haag finally arrives at Old Trafford. But it has not been easy.

An encouraging run of five victories in a row in February and March was followed by four defeats in five, so this was a vital night for their season.

Victory came in a crazy game of attacking football that highlighted defensive weakness at both ends of the pitch, but which left Arsenal celebrating a landmark win.

Eddie Nketiah's 13th minute opener showed the youthful enthusiasm that has been the positive side of Arteta's reign. He chased down a terrible back-pass from Andreas Christensen with real energy before finishing emphatically.

When the visitors gave the ball needlessly away in midfield five minutes later, however, and Timo Werner's effort deflected into the Arsenal net, it felt eerily familiar for very different reasons. But Arsenal's reply, through Emile Smith-Rowe, personified the new Arteta blueprint starting with courageous passing at the back from Granit Xhaka, flowing effortlessly through Martin Odegaard in midfield and ending with precision shooting from the edge of the box.

If you look at the big picture, Arteta has already achieved many of the changes which Ten Haag will need to replicate at Old Trafford over the coming years. He has got rid of much of the dead wood, including the ever-troublesome Mesut Ozil and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, promoted exciting young players and bought well in the market _ in particular Gabriel, Kieran Tierney, Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale and Odegaard.

You certainly couldn't fault Arsenal for attacking intent here. The quickness of their feet and the energy of their forwards saw them rip through Chelsea's defence time and time again.

Even when Chelsea made it 2-2, through Cesar Azpilicueta, the Gunners never gave up, snatching a lead after the break, through Nketiah's penalty-box prowess, and sealing victory without a Bakayo Saka penalty.

It was so thrilling that Arsenal supporters won't want to think about the panic in their own penalty area at other times, they will just want to enjoy the night. And why shouldn't they?

But Manchester United fans making their way to the Emirates on Saturday learned two important things. Firstly, it won't be an easy afternoon, and, secondly, the road to rehabilitation for their own club will not be a short one.