Arsenal vs Man Utd LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction after Granit Xhaka goal
Follow live reaction after Arsenal beat Manchester United in a big match in the race for the Premier League’s top four
Follow live reaction after 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 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 disallowed goal by Eddie Nketiah. Nketiah’s strike was ruled offside by the Video Assistant Referee.
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 for the player after the death of one of his newborn twin babies.
United improved after the restart 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.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
72 mins: Davinson Sanchez is coming on for Tottenham with Ryan Sessegnon taken off. It seems as though Sessegnon has picked up a knock as it isn’t the most attacking of substitutions from Antonio Conte.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
69 mins: Close! Spurs work the ball into Brentford’s final third and win a corner of their own. The set piece comes into the box but Rodrigo Bentancur heads it over the crossbar.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
66 mins: Chance! Mads Roerslev flicks the ball into the Spurs box and a glancing header is cleared off the line but Harry Kane! The ball comes out to Eriksen who drills a low shot towards the near post but Lloris leaps across to smother it before it crosses the line. Tottenham are all at sea here.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
63 mins: Eriksen’s free kick strikes the Tottenham wall and deflects behind for a corner. The next set piece is won in the air by Emerson Royal who heads it out of the Spurs box. Brentford are up to nine corners for the game now.
Sadly there’s no sign of the scoreline changing anytime soon.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
60 mins: Christian Eriksen swings another corner deep into the box for Brentford but Spurs manage to knock the ball out to Kulusevski. His first touch is poor and Toney jumps onto the loose ball. Kulusevski tries to win it back and takes of the striker from behind giving Brentford a free kick in a dangerous area.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
57 mins: Brentford win a corner that is initially dealt with by Spurs but the ball gets recycle and the Bees keep up the pressure. Pontus Jansson flicks it on to the back post where a cross into the six-yard box is plucked out of the air but Hugo Lloris.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
54 mins: Better from Spurs as the work the ball over to Dejan Kulusevski. He ducks inside and crosses the ball over to the far side of the box where Son Heung-min is arriving. Vitaly Janelt gets back in time though and glances the ball out for a corner.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
51 mins: Chance! Rice Henry brings the ball into the Spurs box from the left side and knocks it into Ivan Toney. He takes too long on the ball and has to return the pass instead of shooting but Henry keeps the attack going with a flick over to Bryan Mbuemo. Mbuemo lets the ball bounce before smoking it over the crossbar.
Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
48 mins: Hugo Lloris sprints a long way out of his box to challenge Ivan Toney as the ball is played over the top. The two players seem to collide but Lloris got there and managed to clear the Tottenham lines.
Second half: Brentford 0 - 0 Tottenham
Kick off: Brentford restart the game with a pass back to David Raya who belts it long. Tottenham recover the ball and knock it back to Hugo Lloris. Bryan Mbuemo charges him down and the goalkeeper has to quickly hoof the ball over to the right side of the pitch where it bounces out for a Brentford throw in.
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