EPL: Gunners Return To Winning Ways, Lindelof Rescues Man U

Posted by Samson Kankan Latest Headlines, Sports News Saturday, November 11th, 2023

AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Arsenal’s unbeaten Premier League (PL) home run against newly-promoted opposition stretched to 38 matches thanks to a relatively straightforward 3-1 victory over Burnley in a game where the Gunners netted their 1000th goal at the Emirates Stadium.

The term ‘free hit’ probably no longer applies to Burnley in the predicament they find themselves in, but a trip to Arsenal was always likely to be difficult. They started brightly though, and forced the first notable action of the game when Zeki Amdouni drove from deep and unleashed a fierce drive when David Raya palmed away to safety. Lacking the real cutting edge brought by an out-and-out striker, Arsenal were looking around the team for inspiration. Bukayo Saka almost provided just that midway through the first half, but his strike was tipped onto the bar by James Trafford.

Any lingering Arsenal doubts were laid to rest just under 20 minutes from time when yet another Burnley defensive catastrophe resulted in Zinchenko spectacularly volleying home from the edge of the area. From then on, it was fairly comfortable for Arsenal, despite playing out the last 10 minutes or so a man-light when Fábio Vieira was dismissed for a knee-high challenge on Brownhill. That proved immaterial in the grand scheme of the result, as Arsenal secured three points that moves them level on points with Manchester City at the PL summit.

Manchester United returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over Luton Town in the Premier League (PL), continuing their incredible H2H run of home victories against the Hatters, now at 19 which dates back to 1899.

Manchester United were hoping to return to winning ways following their calamitous 4-3 defeat to Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, and they had a great opportunity to do so in hosting struggling Luton Town. Erik ten Hag’s men got off to a fast, dominant start, having 85% possession in the opening 15 minutes. The hosts created multiple chances on goal but the best came as Marcus Rashford’s deflected cross landed on a plate for Rasmus Højlund just a few yards in front of goal but the Dane, still searching for his first PL goal, was denied by a superb Thomas Kaminski save.

In the end, it was just the one goal that United needed to secure all three points, and though a win was expected against Luton, a much-needed reprieve going into the international break was just what Ten Hag would have wanted.