Trossard's Old Trafford goal keeps Arsenal in title hunt
DOWN TO THE WIRE: Arsenal's Leandro Trossard (left) celebrates scoring the winner. Pic: Martin Rickett, PA Wire.
Leandro Trossard’s first half goal ensured the Premier League title will be decided on the final day of the season as Erik ten Hag’s end-of-season concerns mounted in this Old Trafford defeat.
Mikel Arteta’s side must wait now for Manchester City to visit their local rivals Tottenham on Tuesday as their two-horse race goes down to the wire, thanks to a victory that was more comfortable than the scoreline suggests.
Arsenal still need Pep Guardiola’s defending champions to slip up in one of their two remaining games, but at least his team are doing their bit to ensure the contest lasts until Sunday’s finale.
For Ten Hag, whose pronouncements about why he should remain as manager have grown increasingly defiant and desperate in recent weeks, defeat left his team in danger of recording an eighth-placed finish, which would be their lowest in 34 years.
And Trossard’s goal means Ten Hag’s defence has now conceded 82 goals in all competitions, their worst record since the 1970-71 season.
All in all, with Arsenal winning at Old Trafford for just the second time in 17 seasons, United’s catalogue of failures this season may cost the Dutchman his job, regardless of his excuses.
United had weathered a frenetic start from the Gunners but, ultimately, were undone by chronic defensive mistakes that gifted a 20th minute lead to Trossard.
Andre Onana’s poor clearance was returned by Ben White with Kai Havertz attacking down the right, thanks to Casemiro playing him onside as the veteran jogged slowly upfield.
The Gunners striker reached the by-line and pulled the ball across goal where Trossard, having lost his marker Aaron Wan-Bissaka, reached ahead of Casemiro to force the ball over the line.
It was a goal that demonstrated the weaknesses at the heart of United’s injury-depleted defence and continued the precipitous decline of the 32-year-old Casemiro who has endured a spectacularly bad run of form.
He was not the only one, of course, and Ten Hag will yet again point to his club’s debilitating injury list, both current and season-long.
But there had been glimmers of promise from United as they sought the goal that could have done such a huge favour for their cross-city rivals City at the top of the table.
Rasmus Hojlund was presented with a couple of shooting opportunities from which he failed to test David Raya, Scott McTominay sent a low shot wide and youngster Amad Diallo, handed his first start of the season, appealed optimistically for a penalty he was never going to win, after contact with Thomas Partey.
But Raya was hardly unduly concerned while, at the other end of the field, United were far too easy to play through.
Bukayo Saka came closest to carving out a second goal for his team in the first half, skilfully finding Ben White whose effort flew just off target.
Arsenal looked even more in control in the opening flurries of the season half, with a threatening Declan Rice shot needing to be well blocked and, even when United managed to get out of their half, a difficult afternoon continued for Alejandro Garnacho when he curled a wild effort well wide.
Those United attacks just left them more susceptible on the counter and Trossard launched one such move, that led to Wan-Bissaka falling over, and a Martin Odegaard shot that was well held by Onana.
A rare error by Saka sparked a United attack on 77 minutes which resulted in McTominay finding Garnacho whose left-foot shot whistled into the side-netting but Arsenal instantly responded with sub Gabriel Martinelli’s shot tipped over by Onana.
The United keeper also kept his team in the contest with two fine reflex saves, in quick succession, from a header from his own man Wan-Bissaka and a long-range Rice strike.
Onana 7; Wan-Bissaka 6 (Forson 87), Casemiro 4, Evans 6 (Kambwala 75, 5), Dalot 7; Mainoo 7, Ambrabat 6 (Eriksen 87); Diallo 6 (Antony 69, 5), McTominay 7, Garnacho 6; Hojlund 6 (Wheatley 88).
Raya 7; White 8, Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Tomiyasu 6; Odegaard 7 (Jorginho 90), Partey 6 (Kiwior 90), Rice 9; Saka 6 (Jesus 81), Havertz 7, Trossard 7 (Martinelli 65, 7).
P Tierney 7
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