Soccer-Arsenal dent Man Utd top-four hopes with 3-1 win (updated)

Saka

23/04/2022 14:53

(Adds details)
    LONDON, April 23 (Reuters) - Arsenal dealt a blow to
Manchester United's hopes of a top-four Premier League finish as
Nuno Tavares, Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka struck in a 3-1 win
on Saturday that revived the home side's chances of Champions
League football next season.
    Arsenal were rewarded for their blistering early pace as
Tavares tapped home in the third minute after United goalkeeper
David de Gea pushed away a curling effort by Saka, following
some poor defending by the visitors at The Emirates.
    Saka doubled the Gunners' lead from the penalty spot after a
foul on the winger in the build-up to a strike by Eddie Nketiah
that went in but was ruled out as offside by the Video Assistant
Referee (VAR).
    United's sluggish display overshadowed fleeting moments in
which they threatened and was another reminder of the challenge
facing incoming manager Erik ten Hag, though the visitors got
one back as Cristiano Ronaldo swept in Nemanja Matic's cross.
    The Portuguese forward's 100th Premier League goal came
after a traumatic week personally after the death of one of his
newborn twin babies. In a show of support, Arsenal fans gave the
United number seven a long round of applause in the seventh
minute, as Liverpool fans had done in their midweek fixture
which Liverpool win 4-0.
    United improved in the second half but their woes deepened
as skipper Bruno Fernandes hit the post with a poor effort from
the penalty spot following Tavares' handball, before a
70th-minute thunderbolt from Xhaka sealed the win for the
Gunners.
    That came after a brilliant save by Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron
Ramsdale to push Diogo Dalot's shot on to the post - the second
time in the game the player hit the woodwork, on a frustrating
day for United, who also had a Ronaldo strike ruled out for
offside.
    The win lifted Arsenal to fourth place on 60 points, three
ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who take on Brentford
later on Saturday. United are sixth, with interim boss Ralf
Rangnick facing a tough task in his final four games.

 (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Hugh
Lawson)
 ((Shrivathsa.Sridhar@thomsonreuters.com;))