Peak Arsenal are breathtaking
There are still a number of question marks about this Arsenal side. Depth of squad, consistency and fortitude in the face of adversity to name but three. That said, if Sunday’s game proved anything, it’s that Arsene Wenger’s side are hard to top when at the peak of their form.
Man United looked sluggish at the beginning of the game, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Arsenal were breathtakingly good, cutting the away defence to ribbons with their movement, speed and invention. They were a force of nature and United were blown away.
Why don’t United play defenders in defence?
Playing wingers at full-back and midfielders at centre-half should be an emergency tactic, not a first-choice option. You can get away with it in certain games, but you’ll get punished against the better sides.
It’s not the fault of Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young or Daley Blind. They are doing their best in alien roles. Louis van Gaal must accept the blame for not recruiting quality defenders to supplement his (purposely) thin squad.
Sanchez is worth his weight in gold
Along with David Silva and Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez can lay claim to being one of the very finest players in the league. He is a diamond and Arsenal are lucky to have him; the Premier League are lucky to have him. Despite their many talents, Barcelona were fools for letting him go.
How United must wish that they had splurged a fortune on the stocky Chilean rather than Angel Di Maria. That’s not a sleight on the talented Argentine, more a recognition that Sanchez is the sort of incremental difference between very good and great. This boy can do anything.
We need to talk about Wayne
There is a propensity to seek out scapegoats after a poor display, and with United it’s the easiest thing in the world to focus in on their captain. If in doubt, blame Wayne Rooney. That said, he has been pants this season, not just bad but painfully atrocious.
He wasn’t awful against Arsenal but when ‘not awful’ is seen as an improvement or a good day, that says it all. He is not playing like one of the best footballers in the world. He is not playing like a £300,000 a week star. He is not playing like a United player. He should not be playing.
Gabriel looks like a proper defender
Anthony Martial was United’s one bright spark in an otherwise dreadful performance. But even he struggled when faced with Gabriel Paulista. The Brazilian was immoveable object meeting the irresistible force, and he was again an absolute rock for the Gunners.
Wenger has unearthed a rare commodity – a defender who actually enjoys defending. Paulista isn’t very impressive to look at; his silhouette is painfully thin and his features malnourished. But he is a warrior, and much stronger in the tackle than men twice his size.
