New Telegraph

EPL: Antony scores as Man United end Arsenal’s unbeaten start

 

Manchester United’s £82m new boy Antony scored on his debut and Marcus Rashford got two as Erik ten Hag’s men ended Arsenal’s 100% start to the season at Old Trafford.

The Brazilian opened the scoring 10 minutes before half-time in the pulsating duel, sweeping a shot into the far corner, reports the BBC.

Rashford claimed the assist for that and then, after Bukayo Saka had levelled on the hour, the England striker profited from two clinical United counter-attacks.

Bruno Fernandes was at the heart of both, splitting the Arsenal defence for Rashford’s first, then sending Christian Eriksen clear as the Dane provided the striker with a tap-in.

It was Rashford’s first Premier League double since December 2020, helping lift them to fifth in the table.

Arsenal remain top, however, after their excellent start to the season, manager Mikel Arteta will be concerned at how easily his side were opened up, although the Gunners did have a first-half Gabriel Martinelli goal ruled out by VAR.

Arteta said: “The game was there for the taking. We haven’t won it because we lacked some discipline in some moments and we weren’t ruthless enough in front of goal.

“If we play with more courage we win the game. It is a big lesson – if you want to win here you have to do everything so right.”

Having failed to prise Antony out of Ajax at the start of the summer and with the attempt to sign Ten Hag’s first choice transfer window target Frenkie de Jong stalling, United went back for the Brazilian in the wake of those awful defeats to Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season.

Evidently, United were not in a strong bargaining position and the eventual price – the fourth highest sum ever paid by a Premier League club – is accepted by most to be significantly inflated.

Yet it is impossible to quantify financially how a positive attitude transfers to supporters.

It was clear, with his tricks and flicks and teasing of defenders, the 24-year-old is not short on confidence.

Referee Paul Tierney, who played an excellent advantage for the Brazilian’s goal after Bruno Fernandes had been fouled in the build-up, had to warn him about his celebration in front of the Arsenal fans with the ball up his shirt.

Not long after that, Antony was upended from behind by Granit Xhaka. Had he connected with his immediate response, trying to slice Xhaka down from behind, the response from Tierney would almost certainly have been more than a ticking off.

The United fans loved it all. And while he lasted less than an hour before being replaced by Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony was afforded a standing ovation as he left the field.

However Antony’s time at Old Trafford works out, it isn’t likely to be dull.

However, immediately after this month’s international break, the Gunners have a five-match sequence that includes home games against Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City. After these, far more will be known about this Arsenal side.

And in the first game, Brighton fought back from conceding a first-minute goal to beat struggling Leicester City in a seven-goal thriller at the Amex.

Leicester, bottom of the Premier League, scored after only 51 seconds when Kelechi Iheanacho finished from Patson Daka’s pull-back from the left.

However, the lead only lasted eight minutes before Solly March’s header deflected into the net off Leicester defender Luke Thomas.

Brighton went ahead in the 15th minute, capitalising on a loose pass from James Maddison with Moises Caicedo scoring after being set up by Enock Mwepu.

But in a frantic first half, Leicester scored again after 32 minutes. Youri Tielemans, deep inside his own half, played a ball over the top of the Brighton defence, Daka held off Lewis Dunk’s challenge and slotted the ball past Robert Sanchez for 2-2.

Alexis Mac Allister thought he had restored the Seagulls’ lead with a spectacular strike from 30 yards but, after a video assistant referee check that lasted more than four minutes, the goal was eventually ruled out for offside.

It did not prove to be crucial as Leandro Trossard scored Brighton’s third from Pascal Gross’ pass, with Trossard then winning a penalty, which Mac Allister converted for the fourth.

RESULTS

Brighton 5- 2 Leicester

Man United 3 – 1 Arsenal

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