There is still half-a-season to go and yet already, for Arsenal, there is the feel of a title run-in.
Manchester City might be five points adrift having played a game more—Arsenal may be permitted a couple of slips—but nobody at the Emirates is unaware of the advantages City has in terms of squad and resources; everybody knows how important it is to keep the cushion and maintain momentum. And that is why it was so vital that Eddie Nketiah, having missed a chance that might have given Arsenal the victory, did guide in the winner in the final minute.
The bald facts are these: that Nketiah scored twice as Arsenal beat Manchester United, 3-2, and that Arsenal hit the halfway point of the season on 50 points. Newcastle in third and United in fourth are 11 points adrift. But the facts don’t really give the full picture. This was an extraordinary game, one of high quality and even higher drama, in which United played extremely well and yet Arsenal still deserved the win. But, until the 90th minute, it looked like being a game of frustration. Arsenal, in the final quarter of the game, was magnificent, ratcheting up the pressure degree by degree until United finally cracked.
