Eddie Nketiah grabbed a thrilling late winner to secure all three points from the Emirates meet.
The striker scored from close range to secure a memorable win that put us five points back at the top of the table.
Having fallen behind to Marcus Rashford’s long-range strike, Nketiah quickly had us equalizing with a towering header from Granit Xhaka’s cross.
We were full of attack all afternoon, and took the lead when Bukayo Saka volleyed into the corner from 20 yards.
However, the visitors equalized from a corner, but Masana got a late reward when she stabbed Nketiah in the house.
United strike first
There was a frantic pace to the game from the start. Early on, Martin Odegaard fired a shot when it was well placed and Thomas Partey fired a shot wide before Amal Bruno Fernandes’ penalty appeal was denied.
Gabriel Martinelli fired a shot from 20 yards before being cut into the box after being found by a reverse pass from Odegaard.
The game was just beginning to settle in when United took the lead. The visitors took possession of the midfield, chipped the ball to Marcus Rashford who shot from outside the area, and smashed his low shot just inside the post.
This was the first goal we received in 2023.
Bulleteye shakes our head
We needed to fight back. Nketiah cracked a shot after good work from Saka and Martinelli volleyed wide from the resulting corner.
We kept pressing, and we were rewarded with Nikitia’s excellent header from a Granit Xhaka cross.
It was all-encompassing stuff now. Scott McTominay forced an aerial tackle from Aaron Ramsdale as a semi-finalist.
We kept our pace after the break and Odegaard almost set up Xhaka inside the box after more scintillating footwork to set up the chance.
Saka screams
The second time was when the screams came. Saka deflected the ball away from his marker outside the penalty area, onto his left foot, before firing low and right through David De Gea into the far corner.
Rashford almost hit an immediate response, but Ramsdale did a really good job of thwarting the deflected attempt.
He couldn’t hold a curling corner just moments later, and Lisandro Martínez was on hand to volley a header over jumper Gabriel.
The intensity didn’t drop for a moment, and Odegaard had our next chance. Xhaka found space in the penalty area, and his shot fell to the captain but his effort was deflected into a corner.
Late and late show
Saka almost repeated his goal from a similar position, but this time his shot was deflected towards the post and back.
With the game going into the final 10 minutes, we kept the pressure on United’s rearguard.
Leandro Trossard made his debut in the later stages to bolster the attack.
The Belgian was involved in a late winning run. After the ball bounced in the area, it fell to Nketiah, who walked behind the winner.
The UAE held its breath while there was a review of VAR regarding offside. But then, delirium.
It was the forward’s 13th goal in his last 13 appearances for the Emirates – and he is now the league leaders’ top scorer.
what do you mean
We remain top of the Premier League table after 19 matches, five points behind second-placed Manchester City.
What’s Next
We’re back to the cup action next, when we travel to face Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round at the Etihad Stadium on Friday at 8pm (UK time).
Our next Premier League match will also take place, at Goodison Park against relegation-threatened Everton on Saturday, February 4th.
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