Arsenal 2 United 0

SECOND HALF - UNDONE BY SET-PIECES

Amad, unlucky to start on he bench after his display at the weekend, was introduced for Malacia but United were soon under intense pressure. A Martinelli shot had the sting taken out of it by Maguire before Onana dived to save and Rice saw an effort from the edge of the box deflect out for a corner. There was a feeling of inevitability when Rice's set-piece evaded Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund and was glanced in by Timber.

Onana saved from Saka but the offside flag was up anyway before we managed to clear our heads. Dalot's positive run led to a shot that drifted wide yet, in truth, the danger from the Gunners' corners was omnipresent. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee almost scored an own goal from one of them, rescued by Ugarte at the back post. Our brightest moment came when Amad was crudely brought down by Zinchenko and Fernandes's free-kick was headed goalwards by De Ligt. Raya flung himself to his left to pull off a magnificent save.

Six minutes later, more huge damage was done when Saka's corner from the right was met by Partey and went in off Saliba's back. The goal survived a VAR check for offside and this was destined to be another unhappy visit to the Emirates Stadium.

Only Onana's reflexes denied Havertz an instant third at his near post and yet another chance from a corner was spurned when Mikel Merino nodded off target. Leny Yoro, on for his competitive Reds debut, had to make an important clearance to a Saka centre as the north Londoners threatened to run away with it.

A clever free-kick by Fernandes led to Antony forcing another save out of Raya but another huge scare from a corner at the other end, when Onana just about did enough to get it away from danger, was more instructive about a disappointing defeat.

It's Nottingham Forest up next, on Saturday, in a teatime kick-off.