Declan Rice scored a marvelous equalizer and made a matching tackle on Rasmus Hojlund to keep a point for Arsenal in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
MORE — Manchester United vs Arsenal player ratings
Bruno Fernandes’ magnificent free kick goal opened the scoring and United looked set for a memorable result, and this may serve as that anyway given the Red Devils recent struggles.
MORE — Ruben Amorim reaction | Mikel Arteta reaction
Arsenal are 15 points off Premier League leaders Liverpool but still have a four-point advantage over third-place Nottingham Forest and six points of room above fourth-place Chelsea.
WATCH – Manchester United v Arsenal full match replay
Man United’s 34 points are behind 13th-place Tottenham Hotspur on goal differential. The Red Devils are eight points off 10th and 17 points clear of the drop zone.
What’s next?
Arsenal host PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday, leading 7-1 heading into the second leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie, then host Chelsea at 9:30am ET Sunday.
Man United host Real Sociedad in a Europa League Round of 16 second leg on Thursday, level at 1-1. They’ll then travel to Leicester City to meet old pal Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Foxes at 3pm Sunday.
How to watch Manchester United vs Arsenal live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 12:30pm ET Sunday (March 9)
Venue: Old Trafford — Manchester
TV Channel: NBC
Streaming: Watch live on NBC.com & on Peacock
Manchester United vs Arsenal final score: 1-1
Bruno Fernandes 45+2', Declan Rice 74'
Manchester United vs Arsenal live updates — By Nick Mendola
Declan Rice goal — Man United 1-1 Arsenal (74th minute)
Great work from Jurrien Timber to drive in from the right, and he spots Declan Rice atop the 18.
The English midfielder has time to line up a missile and his aim is true.
Arsenal free kick
Myles Lewis-Skelly, not too long into the game for Riccardo Calafiori, drives past Matthijs de Ligt and wins a central free kick just atop the arc.
The attempt takes ages to materialize, and Martin Odegaard... cracks the ball into the wall.
Another Raya save
Bruno Fernandes snares the ball away from Arsenal’s midfield and lays it wide to Garnacho.
The Argentine’s cross is deflected to Raya’s doorstep, where the keeper does well to collect Joshua Zirkzee’s back leg effort from close range.
At the hour mark now and Arsenal badly needed to find the front foot at Old Trafford to keep their faint Premier League title hopes alive.
David Raya comes up huge
United counter with vigor and Diogo Dalot spots Noussair Mazraoui’s rampaging run on the other flank.
Mazraoui tears into the volley but David Raya gets wide and stays strong with a right leg save that concedes a corner.
Arsenal have no problem with that. 54th minute.
Halftime sub
United is taking off Leny Yoro, who may be ill, and replacing him with a recent transfer from Arsenal: teenager Ayden Heaven.
Bruno Fernandes free kick goal! Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal (45+2')
Bruno Fernandes hits a piledriver off the dead ball chance, and David Raya is clawing through air to no avail.
Incredible sauce!
Garnacho wins late free kick
Leandro Trossard chops down a driving Garnacho just before the referee reveals four minutes of first-half stoppage time is coming to Old Trafford.
The free kick is maybe 25 yards, and Bruno Fernandes presides over it. The Portuguese scores
United mucking it up
One option for Manchester United was to show resolve in their formation and muck up Arsenal’s flow any chance they get.
It’s closer to that mentality than anything else from the Red Devils, who have only given up a trio of shot attempts.
The rub? They haven’t manufactured very much at all going the other way.
0-0, 32'.
Garnacho’s nice dribble is absent receiver
The Argentine gets down Arsenal’s left side and sends a cross through the six but there are no back post runners bidding to make it 1-0.
0-0, 15'.
Merino delivers first proper threat
Martin Odegaard works a 1-2 that banks off Leny Yoro and zips onto the path of Mikel Merino.
The makeshift striker snaps into a quick shot across his body but the effort from 19 yards is wide of the near post.
Manchester United lineup
Onana, Lindelof, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Yoro, Dalot, Eriksen, Casemiro, Fernandes, Garnacho, Zirzkee
Arsenal lineup
Raya, Timber, Saliba, Magalhaes, Calafiori, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Nwaneri, Trossard, Merino
Manchester United vs Arsenal preview — By Joe Prince-Wright
Arsenal will be aiming to keep their fading title hopes alive as they head to Manchester United on Sunday.
After hammering PSV Eindhoven 7-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last 16 tie, the second leg in London on Wednesday is looking like a formality as Mikel Arteta’s side will be in the last eight of the competition. But back in the Premier League they’ve now coughed up five points in their last two games, allowing Liverpool to surge clear atop the table with just 11 games to go for the Gunners. A win at struggling Manchester United is a must for their title hopes to remain intact heading into April and Arsenal need everyone to chip in with goals as their striker shortage remains. Arsenal are 16 points behind Liverpool in the title race but they do play in the Premier League three times before Liverpool are next in action, so they can whittle that gap down to seven points.
As for United, well, they ground out a win against Ipswich Town last time out in the Premier League after being reduced to 10 players with Patrick Dorgu sent off. But they did lose at home in the FA Cup last 16 on penalty kicks to Fulham as they relinquished their trophy without much of a fuss, despite knocking Arsenal out on penalty kicks in the third round. This game is sandwiched in-between their two Europa League last 16 ties against Real Sociedad and Ruben Amorim knows winning that competition is the only thing that can salvage United’s diabolical season. They currently sit in the bottom half of the Premier League table and are well off the top 10.
Manchester United team news, focus
OUT: Jonny Evans (lower back), Mason Mount (thigh), Luke Shaw (foot), Lisandro Martinez (torn ACL - MORE), Altay Bayindir (undisclosed), Patrick Dorgu (suspension), Kobbie Mainoo (undisclosed), Amad Diallo (ankle - out for season) | QUESTIONABLE: Harry Maguire (lower back), Manuel Ugarte (small issue)
Arsenal team news, focus
OUT: Kai Havertz (hamstring - MORE), Gabriel Jesus (torn ACL - out for season), Bukayo Saka (hamstring - MORE), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Gabriel Martinelli (hamstring)
Manchester United vs Arsenal prediction
This seems like it will be a fairly comfortable win for Arsenal, who will be full of confidence following their big win at PSV. Manchester United 1-3 Arsenal.
