Arsenal slumped to a 3-1 loss to 10-man Manchester United in an engaging Premier League tie on Saturday.
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil (Photo: Facebook)
Arsenal slumped to a 3-1 loss to rivals Manchester United on Saturday night in an eventful Premier League clash and Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil took to social media to vent his frustrations over the loss.
United fullback Antonio Valencia gave the visitors the lead with barely five minutes on the clock after intercepting a loose pass from Laurent Koscielny before Red Devils winger Jesse Lingard made it 2-0 after picking Shkodran Mustafi’s pockets in the 12th minute.
The Gunners had made the worst possible start but to their credit, responded well and peppered United’s goal with multiple attempts.
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David de Gea, the United custodian, was outstanding in goal as he almost single-handedly kept the hosts at bay.
At half-time, the Gunners had close to 70 per cent possession and 14 shots but not a single goal as the Red Devils continued to frustrate their rivals thanks in no small part to a sensational goalkeeping display by de Gea.
Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal’s club-record signing, would reduce the deficit after a well-worked move in the 49th minute to spark hopes of a comeback as the momentum was firmly with the home side.
De Gea was saving everything Arsenal threw at him, however, and as the Gunners surged forward at every opportunity, they did leave themselves vulnerable to a United break.
And Lingard would register his first-ever brace for the Red Devils after a counter-attack caught Arsenal cold. Paul Pobga shrugged off Koscielny’s challenge to square for his teammate to tap-in with less than thirty minutes left on the clock.
Pogba then went from hero to villain in a span of minutes as he was sent off for stamping on Hector Bellerin but Arsenal were unable to utilise their man advantage and the final scoreline read 3-1 in their the visitors’ favour.
Ozil’s desire has been questioned in recent weeks, for the German is in the final few months of his Arsenal contract and could sign a pre-contract with a Premier League rival once the winter transfer window opens on January 1, 2018.
The 29-year-old’s performances of late have been encouraging and his post suggests he remains committed to the Gunners cause at least till the time he is contractually obligated to them.
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