Alejandro Garnacho, 18, expressed that after making his whole Manchester United debut last week against Sheriff Tiraspol. When the teenager was replaced late in the 3-0 victory, the bulk of those present at Old Trafford gave him a standing ovation. The United supporters who traveled to watch their team play Real Sociedad will find it even harder to contain their excitement seven days later. Alejandro Garnacho on the bright side for Man Utd.
The teenage Argentine delivered another promising display on his second senior start – against far better opponents – even though Garnacho’s game-winning goal at San Sebastian was insufficient for United to win their Europa League group. His excellent finishing and expert control in the 17th minute highlighted his brilliance in the final third, and his assurance in possession, determination to drive at opponents, and unpredictable skills offered United a new dimension going forward.
Ten Hag remarked of Garnacho, who is now the club’s youngest non-English goal scorer in European competition, “I am thrilled and I hope he can keep it going.” Although he may still be a young talent, early indications point to the possibility of his developing into a star winger. That result is a possibility under Ten Hag’s leadership.
In frustration, Takehiro Tomiyasu raised his shirt above his head. The Japanese full-back had come on as a late replacement for Arsenal in a contentious match against Zurich, but he did not survive long on the field before being replaced by Cedric Soares due to a muscle injury, adding to the manager Mikel Arteta’s growing concerns. Arsenal is in first place in the Premier League and held onto first place in the Europa League, but his team is currently under strain.
The Spaniard had a starting lineup you could almost recite from memory for the majority of this first half of the season, but after making seven changes in front of a critical London derby on Sunday, he is once again left to take care of Chelsea’s injured players. Bukayo Saka made a second-half cameo, which was both welcome and important given how hard Arsenal worked but couldn’t finish off a stubborn but underpowered Zurich.
Tierney’s goal was exquisite and deserving of winning any game, but Arteta will be most happy that two more games in a play-off were avoided. Fabio Vieira made an impression in the first period and may have even contributed to Arsenal’s lead with his three shots, which resulted in a game-high xG of 0.35. He had five touches in the Zurich box, three critical passes completed, and five touches overall.
He successfully defended three times, one of which occurred in the last third. Eight of the attempts tonight by the Gunners involved the Portuguese. It was a high-energy performance that will give Arteta confidence that the team has the depth to contend on several fronts when the season resumes after the World Cup.
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