Arsenal overwhelmed Manchester United with their set-piece prowess, handing Ruben Amorim his first defeat as head coach. The Gunners closed the gap on leaders Liverpool, who drew 3-3 with Newcastle, to seven points, thanks to goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba, both scored from corners. This marked Arsenal’s fourth consecutive win.

Since last season, Arsenal has netted 22 goals from set pieces, the highest in the Premier League. Declan Rice, who delivered the corner for Timber’s opener, expressed his satisfaction: “When you go up for a corner, it’s a chance to score. To get both goals from corners is fantastic. Nico [Jover, the set-piece coach] will be buzzing. I know the weight I need to put on the ball, and repetition is key. I could’ve had a couple more assists, so it was nice to get one.”

After a four-match winless streak in the league, Arsenal has now won three straight matches. Rice noted, “When you hit a rough patch, people write you off. We stuck together as a group, recognizing that our results weren’t good enough, and now we’re starting to turn that around. Liverpool have dropped points, and with them seven points ahead, we’ll see what happens.”

Head coach Mikel Arteta emphasized the team’s belief in their ability to threaten opponents from every angle: “We want to be effective from every phase of play. It’s a special night, celebrating my 100th game in this incredible stadium, and I’m very happy with how we played.”

Amorim acknowledged that set pieces were pivotal in the match: “The set pieces changed the game. We could have been more aggressive near the Arsenal box. Until the set pieces, there weren’t many opportunities for either side; they effectively decided the match.”

He noted the challenge of defending against Arsenal’s corner tactics: “They can crowd the goalkeeper, making it nearly impossible to contest the ball. We need to improve our defense in these situations; we were committed but ultimately lost due to set pieces.”

Amorim concluded, “We have to be better in that area, but like with everything, we need time to improve. We must manage games with a different approach.”