Arsenal star Declan Rice is already paying back his mammoth fee after he scored in stoppage time to see off Manchester United.
The game looked to be heading for a draw. But the hosts were rewarded for their endeavour as their summer signing and the returning Gabriel Jesus both scored in stoppage time to win a controversial encounter that saw VAR thwart both teams.
Arsenal thought they were settling for a point until Rice, their £100m man, showed that he will come up with big moments in the final third as well as in the middle of the pitch. He was his usual excellent self, breaking up play and dictating the pace of the game from the base of midfield.
But he had his biggest moment yet as he made the most of a scrappy corner to fire home. Players in his position don’t often get the chance to justify their fee with goals. But Rice nailed his opportunity. He’s long been tipped for the top, but never had the chance to show it on the biggest stage, he’s certainly proving that now.
The Dane, Hojlund, made his eagerly anticipated debut on Sunday as he was bought on for the final 25 minutes, replacing Anthony Martial, whose minutes could now be at a premium with Rasmus Hojlund fit and available. The youngster quickly made it known to his opposition they were in a physical battle, putting himself about.
He showed great energy, bursting forward and trying to make himself available when United were on the attack. Arsenal though enjoyed the better of the final exchanges, meaning his opportunities to affect the game were limited, but you suspect, now he’s been thrown in, we could see Hojlund start in United’s next outing.
Rashford smashed the 30 goal barrier for the first time last term whilst his team-mates struggled to find the net. Rashford’s form has continued this season but he maintained in pre-season that he wasn’t a No.9, instead he preferred playing from the left which allows him to cut in.
If ever there was a moment to sum up why, it was on Sunday at the Emirates. United offered little before Rashford’s first-half strike, but with him they always have a threat. All the while Ten Hag doesn’t have a potent striker to call upon there will be talk about playing the Englishman centrally, but there’s no doubting where he’s best, it just depends on whether United can find a reliable man to play in the middle.
Pen or no pen? It is the point on which Arteta and Erik ten Hag will certainly disagree. Havertz though he’d given Arsenal a sensational chance to take the lead when he was bundled over by Aaron Wan-Bissaka – and on first look it looked a clear penalty.
Anthony Taylor though requested a VAR review and, the more you watched it the more you thought the contact was minimal and the man in the middle opted to reverse his decision. You could argue Havertz almost moved his leg to take the contact, but also the way in which Wan-Bissaka stepped across him did force him down. The referee later needed the men at Stokely Park to intervene again late on, dashing Garnacho’s dream of a late winner as they made a decision on the tightest of offside calls.
Ten Hag spent near enough £50m on the former Inter Milan goalkeeper Onana because he could play out and boy is he making that point. He’s finding himself in all sorts of positions, showing composure, patience and an array of passing, which means United don’t have to knock it long.
It says a lot that Gary Neville joked on commentary that the Cameroon international was “United’s best outfield player at the moment, that’s a bit of an issue”. Onana though is taking pressure off United’s centre-halves by always being an option.