That was the performance I have been waiting for. Partey and Elneny were great but acrosss the team good performances and a mention for Bellerin. I think Bellerin, Holding and Elneny are improving significantly. We need to see desire and use of a football brain in every game from now on.

Defense seems to be sorted.
Midfield is moving in the right direction.
Attack next on the agenda?

As others have said, credit to Holding and Elneny today. They both played well. Gabriel is the star man in central defence though. Been so impressed with him.

Kane winning another of his cheating penalties. He literally does this move every game. Ball in the air, looks for his opponent, as his opponent goes up to win the header Kane backs in to him and collapses under the challenge. It is often a foul by Kane and often a very dangerous one by taking the guy out in the air. In rugby they give red cards for it because of the potential for serious neck injury

Be interested to see Artetas starting line up in our next league game.

Only downside for me was Willian who doesn’t seem to be able to affect a game. Pépé looks a far better option for me and more likely to provide an incisive moment.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence the first game where we won the midfield battle and dominated that part of the field was when there was no Xhaka in the side.

I'd go with the Elneny/Partey partnership and see where it takes us. It's more dynamic and more fluid.

I'd also consider giving Willock some PL minutes.

Me too. Those 3 are just more industrious and capable of more progressive play.

Cebackpass wasn't around to do that pivot thing where he turns in the other direction before passing it sideways or Xhaka to do that instep pass to Tierney and absolutely *%^@ all else all game.

I think you're being a little hard on Willian who I thought played well today. Maybe not as explosive as Pépé but an intelligent team player. Unlucky not to put us ahead as well.

I’m not writing him off and as I said previously you can’t be that bad a player to get 70 Brazil caps but I don’t really see him affecting games at the moment to be honest.

I agree bromley. Willian had a good game. I honestly don’t think there was a single Arsenal player who didn’t play well.

Don't be ridiculous, Bernard. Leno was hopeless. Had Martinez played today he would have had a hatrick

I’ll put an imaginary smiley here.

Leno's a real fecker, that he is!

I hope both Ceballos and Xhaka drops down the order after this. Elneny was everything Xhaka wasn't. His grit, determination and energy to impose on the game was tremendous. And he threads those forward passes very quickly. The loan spell must have ignited a belief in him. I had slatted him once or twice before, and am more than happy to eat humble pie now. Partey showed great mobility. He lost the ball a couple times, and also just as quickly was back in it to win the ball back. Xhaka would not have been able to do that. He would have lost the ball, and stand like a statue for a split-second, look around in hope for help, and will then try to get back to defend after that. He is a good player, but does not have the mobility to win back lost balls. Ceballos is a ball distributor in midfield, no more than that, and slows us down all the time.

I would like to see Nelson instead. I think he will bring more to the game. Pépé falls over too easily. He is too lightweight and defenders know that. A slight nudge when he is on the move, and down he goes.

Yes, Willock and AMN must be given more game time.

A Man Utd supporting person I know said it was a combination of them not playing well (he was particularly harsh on Pogba) and us playing better than our last match. He thought the penalty was very soft. I remind EVERY Man Utd fan about Rooney's dive to end the streak so any comment on soft penalties regarding us is non starter.

He thought a draw would have been a fairer result because a few inches more and the ball that ricocheted off Leno would have went as well as hitting the woodwork.

Maybe sour grapes but he has some points.

And if Willian’s shot had been fractionally lower. And if....... etc etc

Sorry mate but Nelson isnt there yet, Pépé frustrates but has the quality to win matches and provide match winning moments. Look at his finish againest Dundalk, zero back lift and bang top corner. City in the semi, lovely cross floated over for Aubameyang bang. We have seen little of that from Nelson yet. Like Leno and holding I think people are over infatuated with pepes weaker moments and and fail to see the good things he does.

Partey, 31 of 55 passes were forward passes yesterday. Keane summed him up well that he isn’t just a good defensive mid, or a good 6 or good 8, he’s simply an all round good central midfielder who does it all

I agree Top Gun. Nelson, at this point in time, is no more than a useful squad back up, like Willock who I’ve also seen mentioned. Pépé presently has much more to offer.

At the end of the day Arsenal were comfortably better than Manchester United and fully deserved the win. Okay, I can understand their fans trying to claim something different but that’s a view coming from their own bias rather than realism.

I can see this peculiar prem season getting some order restored soon enough. With the games crammed in injuries and fatigue will mount up meaning those with the deepest squads will cope better. Look at Everton, they were flying with a fully fit squad, then Richarlison and Digne suspended and Coleman and Rodrigues injured and they've lost 2 on the bounce. Wolves and Leicester have seriously good starting 11's but not much in reserve. Southampton might have lost Ings for a while if his knee injury is serious. It will still be a very competitive league but I don't expect anyone other than the big 6 to be filling the top 4 spots at the end of the season.

Quite. It is grasping at straws. Other than the deflected cross off the post, a long range pea roller from Matic and a header from Maguire I can't recall us ever looking in any danger of conceding. Arsenal dominated the ball, made all the attacking moves had 2 good chances just nicked off the strikers toes by last ditch defending, Aubameyang just wide, Willian hit the bar, Saka free header...and the most important stat of all, we scored 1 and let in none.

Every report I've seen of the match makes it very clear it was a well deserved win.

The lack of goals is a concern, but it can be put to one side for a 1-0 win away at Man U. That win had been a long time coming, and an away win at a big 6 side gets rid of that stat that is always churned out - I thought the stat always needed a bit of a caveat in that we'd beaten the big teams on plenty of occasions in cup finals, cup semi finals etc - we beat them when we were winning a trophy due to beating them. Of course I'd have loved a few more away wins in the league but I'll happily take beating them in cup finals.

Molde at home next, I'm expecting quite a changed side considering the mental and physical effort that went in to the game yesterday. Must be starts for Nelson, Willock, Nketiah, Pépé, Cédric, Xhaka, Ceballos, Runnasson, Mustafi

Partey and Gabriel are exactly the kind of recruitment we need. They make our first team better.

It’s weird really. Gabriel has turned out to be what I had hoped that Saliba would be.

So made up with that performance and win yesterday.
We were so much more fluid and offensive and seemed sharper.
Its days like this that show that Arteta is having a significant influence on us and its good to see proof of it on days like this.
I was a bit worried about our new found solidity having a detrimental effect on our offensive game but yesterday the balance was just right.
Elneny and Partey were superb as was Gabriel. What a signing he is turning out to be.
Physical aggressive and always in the back of a defender to intercept the ball. Money well spent.
Was worried Aubameyang might miss the penalty but he stuck it away calmly.
First win there since 2006 but as Rich pointed out it has conveniently been forgotton that we have been beating big teams in the cups....
Weird how Everton and Villa after flying starts have now lost 2 in a row.
Really bunched up up there

Yes, when it comes to injustices in Arsenal-Man U games, that penalty should always be the yardstick. The stink of it lingers all these years on.

Arsenal have the best defence in the league.

Liverpool are top with the most goals conceded - first time that has happened at any point of the season since 1992

Nelson will hopefully get opportunities as a sub and in the domestic cups. But Pépé definitely has more to offer at present. He's just bubbling under at the moment.

Top Gun. You are right. That finish against Dundalk was a thing of beauty.

The penalty wasn't even the worst decision in that game. Ferdinand should have been sent off, Van Nistlerooy rakes Cole's knee right in front of the linesman and should have been sent off (got a retrospective 3 game ban) and Neville. P and G made so many yellow card fouls, along with Rooney and Scholes they were simply given total license to kick any Arsenal player that day. No surprise the ref was the spineless Mike Riley who now runs the referee organisation in this country.
I'm not a fan of Mike Dean but give me him any day of the week over the likes of Riley. Dean revels in being the showman, the ref that isn't phased by making a big decision under lots of pressure - that in itself brings its own annoyances as a fan but at least he seems equally bad/good for every team as I think he genuinely sets out to prove he won't be phased by reputation or intimidation. Rather than that gutless refs like Riley.
It remains for me the single biggest disgraceful refereeing performance I've ever seen which hasn't been proven to be corrupt

Yep, and totally suited to the league. I know I'm not the only one who has been crying out for pace and power to come back in to the side, Soc has definitely been beating that drum as well. I don't necessarily think Gabriel and Partey are speed merchants but they are as quick as they need to be in this league, and half the battle with pace is the reaction and the mobility and acceleration to get there not about how fast you can run 50 yards at top pace. The strength and physicality both displayed yesterday was superb, tight to strikers, winning second balls, making tackles. Both already look like bargains - particularly Gabriel who was more of an unknown quantity.

Still got time for Saliba. We can afford to wait a season or two. And I think it might be worth the wait if the reports abt his ability and potential are to be believed.

The current good form of Elneny makes you realise that the career of a professional footballer can be a fragile thing. There he was, largely forgotten by the fans, and when remembered, usually on our disposals list. It is always warming to see an underdog have his day. He is clearly a man of character so best of luck to him. Well done to Arteta for perceptive management.

Yet.

And I say that simply because of the sheer number and obviousness of the fouls; he can’t hide behind not seeing all the fouls, no way.

Maybe corrupt is not the word, but Riley had been got at somehow by Ferguson. No doubt in my mind about that.

Gets my vote

And this...….