5 Things Manchester United Can Take Away from Arsenal Victory
There probably weren't that many Manchester United fans expecting to walk away from Old Trafford with all three points this weekend.
That's a relatively odd sentence to type when you think about how dominant United have been at home for the past 20 years.
This season, however, things started a little differently for the champions with every game the Red Devils have played so far becoming more open and challenging than ever before.
However, it would appear as though, for the time being at least, the most successful side in English football are starting to get back on the right path.
Three successive victories in the EPL have left David Moyes' men just five points off the summit of the top flight after what had initially seemed like a season doomed to abject failure.
The conquering of the seemingly unbeatable early leaders Arsenal on Sunday was a testament to the resilience and improvement shown by both United's players and staff over the past month.
In this article, we will take a look at five things we learned from the crucial victory and analyse what they mean going forward.
So, without further ado, let's see what we have discovered.
Phil Jones and Chris Smalling Are Maturing
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Phil Jones and Chris Smalling are both players who at times lend themselves to criticism.
With stellar performances one week followed by poor displays the next, many fans find it hard to really put their finger on whether or not either England International is consistent enough to maintain a regular spot in the United starting XI.
This weekend, the two exhibited a great level of understanding and confidence in the match, with the two defenders playing with wisdom beyond their years. Let's not forget they are, after all, only 21 (Jones) and 23 (Smalling) years of age.
Jones started in the center of the United midfield and did a great job earning back possession and keeping what is arguably one of the most talented midfield lineups in the world right now quiet.
With the injury to Nemanja Vidic shortly before the break, Jones was forced to slot in at center-back for the entirety of the second half.
This was the role that Sir Alex Ferguson had in mind for Jones when he signed him as a teenager from the Blackburn Rovers, and his clear ability to play the position was evident throughout his tenure there.
As for Smalling, who was brought in to play at right-back for the injured Rafael, the former Maidstone United man looked solid throughout, barring one glaring miss at the back post following a Robin van Persie cross.
Making crucial last-ditch tackles on more than one occasion—including in the dying seconds as Santi Cazorla was about to draw back for a strike—Smalling showed why Sir Alex placed so much faith in him all those years ago.
The two of them are both starting to develop into mature young men with plenty of big-game experience to call upon.
In a year or so's time, both Smalling and Jones may find themselves with a regular place in the United first team.
Shinji Kagawa Still Has a Place in the Team
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What was perhaps most reassuring to see during the dominant performance this weekend was the part that long-time forgotten Red Shinji Kagawa had to play in proceedings.
The Japanese international has been far from a regular in the first team so far this year (or at all really since his arrival in the summer of 2012), so it was great to see Kagawa get a decent run in such an important fixture.
Playing in his less favoured position on the far-left of the midfield didn't seem to phase the former Dortmund man at all, as he, on more than one occasion, linked up brilliantly with either Wayne Rooney, van Persie, Michael Carrick, Jones or Tom Cleverley, the latter of which demonstrated a real cohesion with Kagawa during the second half.
You're always told these days that keeping possession is half the battle when it comes to winning a game of football. Kagawa is one of those players who has the ability to take a terrific first touch under immense pressure, only to then swivel on a sixpence and quickly lay off the ball directly to the feet of a team-mate—and in the process, take a defender or two out of the game.
The man from Japan excelled in this department against the Gunners, often getting United's midfield out of tight spots with relative ease.
His inclusion in the side shows a statement of intent from David Moyes, suggesting that he will be looking to make Kagawa a regular member of the starting lineup from now on.
If he can repeat the performance that he put in this weekend in the future, then all talks of a potential return to Borussia Dortmund will be well and truly put to bed.
Robin Van Rooney Partnership Is Strongest in the League
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In truth, this was more confirmation than learning anything new.
It doesn't take a genius to work out that when you have two of the league's all-time top goalscorers playing on the same team, they are more than likely to carve out a few strikes between them
So far this year, both players have maintained an impressive level of goals-to-game ratio, while at the same time also working as a provider for the rest of their team.
Robin van Persie, who staggeringly has already netted 40 times for United in all competitions in the space of less than a year and a half, once again came up with the all-important winning goal this weekend off the back of an impressively delivered corner from the boot of Wayne Rooney.
The pairing has already contributed 12 goals between them to United's tally in the league this season and look likely to add to that number as time goes on.
Last season, RVP's goals were enough to carry United to a comfortable Premier League glory. With Rooney now also firing for the Red Devils, fans might have a lot more to cheer about come the end of the season than they previously had expected.
Also, Robin van Persie is definitely a United player at heart and not a Gunner. The mind games didn't work, Arsene Wenger.
Winning the League Is Still Possible (and a Champions League Spot Is Probable)
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Before anyone overreacts: No, I'm not suggesting that just because United beat Arsenal and have been on a good run lately that a team going through such a transitional period will end up winning the Premier League this year.
However, when you're on a run like the champs are right now and beat the team which many expected to run away with the title, one has to have some sort of renewed confidence for the coming season.
While winning the league is nowhere near as important as maintaining a top-four finish from a United point of view, beating Arsenal does at least suggest that the team that so easily ran away with the title last year still exists somewhere in the on-field mess that we have all been privy to so far this campaign.
With Manchester City, Everton and Tottenham all starting to show real weaknesses this season, we may be witnessing the return of (for one year at least) the "big four."
Many fans will recall before the days of Sheikh Mansour and Gareth Bale that Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and United were the four sides who would consistently find themselves with a top-four finish relatively unchallenged.
While that hasn't been the case for nearly four years now, it is starting to appear as though it may be once again in 2013-14. Then again, I'm sure Southampton will have something to say about that.
Whatever the case, United just need to ensure that they do secure that top-four slot or else run the risk of more scrutiny from the press.
David Moyes Is Adjusting to the Position of United Boss
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A happy David Moyes wearing a United winter coat is not something that we have ever really seen before.
Again, it's silly to say that, off the back of a few good results, David Moyes is now secure and totally comfortable in position as United boss. With a demanding set of fixtures approaching, he faces a continuing challenge at the helm of the Red Devils—one that won't cease until he picks up his first piece of meaningful silverware.
However, with his side now on something of a roll and an impressive victory against the league leaders putting United back within touching distance of the top spot again, David Moyes won't be as stressed about his current position as he was this time last month.
Taking over from a prolific figure like Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to be one of the hardest jobs in world sport.
Moyes was never going to come in and be able to instantly maintain the level of success that Fergie achieved during his time in Manchester—whatever squad he had at his disposal.
Now, nearly four months into the role, Moyes is at last starting to noticeably find his feet at the club. If United can pick up all six points from their next two fixtures (devilishly tricky looking away days at Cardiff and Spurs respectively), then he will be in full force going into the first reunion with his old club Everton at Old Trafford on December 4.
