at Old Trafford the skies had already broken open, pounding the turf with English summer rain, gluing Erik ten Hag’s ill-advised houndstooth summer sports jacket to his shoulders, leaving Mikel Arteta squelching across in skintight all-black to punch the air in celebration of a 1-0 win that leaves Arsenal top of the table, right up until the next time they’re not.
In the meantime this was a low-key, room temperature kind of away win for Arsenal, an obligation discharged, another date ticked off. For all Manchester United’s diffuse second-half energy Arsenal were always able to keep them at a distance, like an older brother laying a restraining palm on the forehead while your arms wheel away, haymakers thrown, face flushed, never quite in danger of landing.
William Saliba in particular produced a performance that felt like a 90-minute celebration of his own wonderful season, 37 games and counting in the Premier League. He touched the ball 99 times, more than anyone else on the pitch, completed 76 of his 84 passes, made four tackles, six clearances and won three clear defensive headers.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Arsenal’s central defence contains two of the top four least-dribbled-past defenders in the Premier League along with Virgil van Dijk and Ezri Konsa. It has been a formidable display of craft and consistency, not just the last line, but something that affects every other part of the team, the referred strength of that human shield.. This team may or may not end up winning a title. But this is a champion defensive partnership, and still in its prime years.
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