Arsenal vs. Manchester United: Arsene Wenger, Louis Van Gaal Post-Match Reaction

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was in a foul mood after his team's 3-0 loss at the hands of Arsenal during Sunday's Premier League action, telling reporters he was amazed and “disappointed” by his players' flat display, per ESPN FC's Miguel Delaney:

The Gunners blitzed United during the first 20 minutes of the match, scoring three quick goals and cruising the rest of the game. Alexis Sanchez struck twice, with Mesut Ozil adding a goal of his own, but Arsenal's team effort was perhaps the biggest star on Sunday, particularly in midfield.

Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick never got a handle on the midfield proceedings and allowed Ozil far too much space to operate, while Arsenal managed to keep the ball out of their own box for the most part.

As shared by the club's official Twitter account, Van Gaal believes a lack of aggression cost the Red Devils:

Some of the reporters in attendance thought Morgan Schneiderlin would have been a better fit to start the match, using his physical playing style to keep Arsenal's creative outlets at bay, but when a journalist asked the Dutchman about his decision not to start the France international, Van Gaal struck back with a vengeance:

Wayne Rooney put in a hard-working performance, but the veteran forward was once again largely inefficient in front of goal. As with the question about Schneiderlin, Van Gaal had no intention of discussing the topic:

As France Football's Philippe Auclair shared, he believes the international break couldn't have come at a worse time:

Meanwhile, his Arsenal colleague, Arsene Wenger, was obviously in good spirits, telling reporters Sunday's win was a statement, per the club's official Twitter account:

The Gunners played just about the perfect match, grabbing an early lead and controlling the pace throughout. While Ozil and Sanchez stood out, everyone contributed to the win—something Wenger acknowledged:

During the press conferences of both managers, news broke that Brendan Rodgers had been sacked as manager of Liverpool, per the Reds' official website, and Wenger was asked how he felt about the news.

As shared by Oliver Kay of the Times, he said he was “sad,” although he perhaps chose his words poorly:

With the win, the Gunners hop over United in the standings and into second place, with both clubs chasing Manchester City by two points. The Red Devils have yet to grab a real statement win, and Sunday's loss will have plenty of fans and pundits believing they're not ready to hang with the elite clubs of English football.

Arsenal needed a positive result after the embarrassing loss against Olympiacos, and the players delivered on Sunday, beating a direct rival for the title in epic fashion. City may still be the favourites at this point, but this Gunners squad looks more than ready to give the Citizens a run for their money.

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