It was a shameful weekend for both halves of Merseyside while Marcus Rashford steps into the Cristiano Ronaldo breach for Manchester United…
Winners
Arsenal
The last 30 minutes of this game were perhaps the most impressive from Arsenal. They created chances and scored a couple of goals in the first half without being at their absolute best, before soaking up pressure from their arch rivals away from home. They showed – dare we say it – what champions are made of.
Aaron Ramsdale made some excellent saves, but at no point did it feel as though Tottenham were going to get back into the game. The confidence pulsing through Arsenal is quite extraordinary and to maintain their form without Gabriel Jesus – arguably their best player before his injury – is testament to the work Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff are doing.
We’re past the point where their performances and results can be explained away by luck or form. They’ve passed nearly every test and, quite simply, look like the best football team in the Premier League.
Marcus Rashford
At points last season – and this was the case for most United players, to be fair – it felt as though Rashford needed to escape. Old Trafford was poisonous and although such a talented footballer departing his boyhood club would have been a great shame, even the fans appeared willing to see the back of a forward who was worth more in potential transfer fees than contributions on the pitch.
Cristiano Ronaldo leaving was of course a blessing, but there was also a sense that United needed an ego to step into the breach. They thrive with a touch of arrogance up top and Rashford seems dead set on being the talisman and driving force behind what threatens to be an era of competing for the big gongs under Erik ten Hag.
Rashford’s 16th goal of the season was his ninth in consecutive home games, equalling a Manchester United record set by Dennis Viollet in 1959.
READ MORE: United 2-1 City: 16 conclusions as definitions of ‘interference’ decide Manchester derby
Newcastle
The 1-0 win over Fulham was Newcastle’s fifth Premier League clean sheet on the bounce and their 11th in total. They’ve conceded more than one goal just twice this season, in the 3-3 draw with Manchester City and the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, which was their only loss of the campaign.
Sven Botman’s proven to be a…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Football365…