Arsenal’s Character, Title Challenge Pass Another Huge Test With Big Win vs. Man United | Watch

Eddie Nketiah’s 90th-minute winner sealed a dramatic 3-2 win against Manchester United as Arsenal took a huge step towards winning the club’s first Premier League title since 2004.

In a pulsating game at the Emirates, both sides traded the lead before Lisandro Martinez’s equaliser in the second half for United appeared to send the clash towards a draw. But Nketiah, who cancelled out Marcus Rashford’s opener with a first-half header, claimed victory for Arsenal in the final minute to keep the Gunners five points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Here are some quick thoughts about Sunday’s standout Premier League fixture.

Arsenal Pass Another Huge Test in Their Title Charge

January was supposed to be the acid test of Arsenal’s surprise challenge for the Premier League title, but Mikel Arteta’s team keep on proving the doubters wrong with big results, and none will be more significant than this 3-2 win against Manchester United.

The Gunners were held by Newcastle at the start of the month, but won at Tottenham last week before avenging their only defeat of the season so far against United. And in beating United, Arsenal displayed the qualities of champions. They fought back from conceding an early goal, went on to take the lead and then scored a late winner after the visitors had made it 2-2 midway through the second half.

Arsenal have yet to play champions Manchester City this season, so the clash against a resurgent United was the biggest test of Arteta’s team. And they answered all the questions asked of them to beat Erik ten Hag’s side.

Arsenal are now at the halfway stage of the season and have amassed 50 points from 19 games. Even if they drop off from that incredible pace in the second half of the season, they will still finish the campaign with a huge points total; the pressure is on City to reel them in, but this Arsenal side is playing without fear and nerves.

Both may come, of course, but right now they are showing the same kind of carefree form that propelled Leicester to the title in 2016. And unless City can beat them in their first league meeting next month, it will become increasingly difficult to see how anyone can stop Arsenal from winning the title.

Weghorst Makes a Difference, But United Still Lack Attacking Edge

Wout Weghorst is not the answer to Manchester United’s goal-scoring problems, but he is certainly giving Erik ten Hag’s team something different up front. The Netherlands international, on loan from Burnley until the end of the season, has been brought in to bolster United’s attacking options following Cristiano Ronaldo’s mutually-agreed departure in November.

With Anthony Martial still sidelined with a hamstring injury, the 6-foot-6 Weghorst started his second successive game at the Emirates and, just as on his debut at Crystal Palace, he didn’t threaten the opposition goal. But Weghorst has made United more direct and given them the option to hit the ball long when needed. It would be wrong to suggest that he is merely a target man, though.

Weghorst is good with his feet and he linked played well with his attacking teammates and also drew players to mark him whenever the ball was in the air, freeing space for the likes of Marcus Rashford and Antony. He also has a much greater work ethic than Martial and is prepared to endlessly press the opposition defence. But ultimately, he is limited in his ability to beat his marker and opponents know that they can keep Weghorst at bay fairly easily.

United have the lowest goal tally in the top six and right now, they’re being rescued by Rashford’s goals time and time again. That won’t continue forever, so they need to be more potent. Weghorst gives them another option, but he won’t score enough goals to make United serious title contenders.

Arsenal Have a Right-Back Problem

Mikel Arteta has worked wonders to turn Arsenal into title challengers, but his team still has flaws, and nowhere more than at right-back.

Ben White was awful in the first half and completely failed to make life difficult for Rashford. He was also outdone more than once by Bruno Fernandes as United repeatedly attacked down their left-hand side.

The former Brighton defender is primarily a centre-half, but he has operated at right-back throughout this season because Gabriel and William Saliba have been so impressive in the middle of the Arsenal defence. White is simply not equipped to play at right-back. He thinks like a centre-back and it means he often makes the wrong decisions.

Arteta substituted White at half-time — it may have been an injury, but there was no indication of that — and replaced him with Takehiro Tomiyasu, but the Japan defender was no better than his teammate and arguably even worse.

Obviously, being asked to defend against Rashford in this kind of form is tough for any player, but there are other great wide players in the Premier League and Arsenal will face them during the battle for the title.

To avoid their clear weakness being targeted, Arteta needs to find a solution — and fast.

The post Arsenal’s Character, Title Challenge Pass Another Huge Test With Big Win vs. Man United was originally published on ESPN.