OVER the weekend we finally saw the return of our beloved Premier League after a tedious two-week international break.
The highlight of the weekend’s fixtures was undoubtedly the match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners started like a house on fire, running a shaky United defence ragged as they passed the ball at pace, made intelligent runs and basically did everything it would normally require to score a goal, without actually scoring a goal.
Jack Wilshere missed a sitter from five yards after some David De Gea heroics, while shots from Alexis Sanchez and former Red Devil Danny Welbeck were dealt with comfortably by the Spanish goalkeeper.
After Luke Shaw was forced off with an injury, the United back line was manned by two youngsters in their rookie season and two wingers with only one regular defender in Chris Smalling left to marshal them.
It was at this point that Arsenal fans would have been feeling pretty confident that a goal was soon to be at hand.
Arsenal continued to smash on the United door, but lacked that killer touch required to actually take the lead, a factor of their play they would eventually come to rue.
When United took the lead through a bizarre own goal in the 56th minute, they had yet to have a shot on goal.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
When Wayne Rooney scored the second, their statistics unbelievably read: Goals 2, shots on target 1.
What I loved about this game was that it so aptly reminded us of the importance of taking your chances and alternately, the importance of keeping your goal intact when under pressure.
The Red Devils ended the game with a grand total of two shots on target, finishing second best in basically every statistic except the one that counts, goals scored.
While Arsenal made all the running, in reality their attack was toothless as they were unable to beat a solid De Gea even with their wealth of chances to do so, while at the other end United took the single chance they had, having their other goal gifted to them.
So was Arsenal the better team? The statistics would suggest so and it is a statement many an Arsenal fan would have uttered in the aftermath of the game, but the simple fact of the matter is that they were not.
If you do not score the goals, you simply cannot claim to have been the better team. You can be ahead in every statistic available under the sun, but you will not win the points if you are not ahead in the statistic that really counts, the “goals scored” column, a philosophy that was so resoundingly proven by Arsenal this weekend.
Credit must be given to United, who weathered a severe storm from Arsenal throughout the game and at the end of it all, were good value for their three points.
A late screamer from returning Arsenal striker was the only way the Gunners found into the United goal, a goal that proved to be just mere consolation in the end.
Arsenal will be looking to find a little more bite upfront in their upcoming fixture against West Brom, while united will be eager to try and provide more protection for David De Gea who was required to make series of saves to keep his team in the game at the Emirates.
What this weekend has proven, is the importance of the killer instinct, to take those chances when they present themselves, because in the end, its goals that count. — Twitter @Thesonofapitch
