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It appears there is still life in Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta oversaw a potentially season-changing 3-1 win over Chelsea on Boxing Day.
The Gunners had been on a dreadful run, but with the odds against them they produced their most complete performance in a while, with some of the youngsters playing important roles.
Leicester City and Manchester United began the day’s action with an entertaining draw that doubled as a microcosm for the Red Devils’ season.
Using Opta data, we have looked at the pick of the action on a busy Saturday.
The best Boxing Day performance was ______________ pic.twitter.com/kPe9WBpYf4
— Premier League (@premierleague) December 26, 2020
Leicester City 2-2 Manchester United: Red Devils clicking in attack but let down by defence
Manchester United’s unbeaten run away from home continued in Saturday’s early kick-off, as their draw at Leicester City saw them go 14 without defeat on the road in the Premier League, their longest such streak since January 2011 (16).
They were all business in attack, with Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and substitute Edinson Cavani all effective.
Rashford opened the scoring to become the third-youngest United player to reach 50 Premier League goals (23 years, 56 days) behind only Wayne Rooney (22y, 157d) and Cristiano Ronaldo (22y, 341d).
Fernandes set him up and then got United’s second, taking his goal involvement tally to 31 since joining the club – that’s more than 50 percent of the club’s 60 goals in that time.
Cavani’s clever run and throughball released Fernandes, with the Uruguayan reaching five goal involvements from the bench in the league this term, two more than any other player.
But a late Axel Tuanzebe own goal – brought about by Jamie Vardy’s shot – saw United pegged back.
It was the 11th successive away league game in which they have conceded at least twice, the worst such run since the Red Devils went 13 matches in 1959.
23 – Aged 23 years and 56 days, Marcus Rashford is the third-youngest Manchester United player to reach 50 Premier League goals after Wayne Rooney (22 years 157 days) and Cristiano Ronaldo (22 years 341 days). Prestige.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020
Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea: Young Gunners reinvigorate Mikel Arteta’s men
Mikel Arteta was in an unenviable position before kick-off – he had lost three important senior players (Willian, David Luiz and Gabriel) at short notice, while Pablo Mari, Emile Smith Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli earned their first starts of the season.
As such, there was an unfamiliar and inexperienced look to the Arsenal starting XI, which for the first time since January 2013 did not include a player over the age of 30.
Nevertheless, two of their more experienced players did find the net – Granit Xhaka’s free-kick was the seventh time he has scored from outside the area, amounting to 79 per cent of nine goals. That’s the highest ratio of Gunners players to have scored at least five times in the division.
Alexandre Lacazette’s penalty was his 39th at the Emirates Stadium, 72 per cent of his club total, while it also made him Arsenal’s top scorer this term with six across all competitions.
But it was a day to forget for Chelsea, and particularly Timo Werner. The German was withdrawn at half-time, thus extending his goal drought to 10 matches on all fronts, his worst goalless run since 12 games between March and September 2016.
10 – Timo Werner has now failed to score in his last 10 games in all competitions, his longest drought since a run of 12 matches between March and September 2016 across spells at Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. Barren.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020
Aston Villa 3-0 Crystal Palace: Resolute Villans make light of numerical disadvantage
When Tyrone Mings was sent off just before half-time with Villa 1-0 up, one expected the worst for the hosts in the second period.
But if anything, that red – a record-setting fourth for the club on Boxing Day – seemed to spur Villa on, Dean Smith’s side going on to score twice more and claim an eighth clean sheet of the season, more than any other side in the league.
Palace could only wish for such defensive solidity – they are without a shutout in their past 14 Premier League matches, their longest such streak since November 2017.
Bertrand Traore got the ball rolling early on, netting in successive matches after only managing two in his previous 19 league outings.
Kortney Hause made it 2-0 before Anwar El Ghazi finished Palace off in style with his fourth goal in as many Premier League appearances – a fine accomplishment for a player who, only a few weeks ago, was being targeted for criticism from some supporters on social media.
Jack Grealish may not have been on the scoresheet, but he was yet again crucial for Villa – Palace’s only answer was to foul him. The England international’s fouls won per game since the start of last season was boosted to 4.7, which is by far the most of any player to have played more than 100 minutes in that time.
4.4 – Despite playing with 10 men for the entirety of the second half, Aston Villa amassed an expected goals total of 4.4 against Crystal Palace, the highest single-game return for any side in the Premier League this season. Undeterred. pic.twitter.com/EBbJpbnu4k
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020
Manchester City 2-0 Newcastle United: Defence provides solid platform again for Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has received his fair share of criticism this season, but if there’s one area in which City are excelling, it’s at the back.
Saturday’s routine victory over Steve Bruce’s lacklustre Magpies was their 13th clean sheet of the season across all competitions, more than any other team in Europe’s top five leagues.
The omens weren’t great for Newcastle coming into the game, and this was their 15th Premier League defeat on Boxing Day – a record – and their sixth in succession on this day.
On top of that, it’s now 12 straight home wins over Newcastle for City, who’ve scored 41 times and conceded just seven in that run.
Raheem Sterling reached a milestone when he set up Ilkay Gundogan’s opener, as it was his 150th goal involvement (96 goals, 54 assists) in all competitions since Pep Guardiola became coach, more than anyone else. Sergio Aguero has 146 (120 goals, 26 assists).
Ferran Torres got City’s second, as the pre-season signing from Valencia continued his very promising debut campaign, this time leading the line in place of the injured Gabriel Jesus with Aguero only fit enough for a place on the bench.
Torres’ goal was his seventh for City, and all seven games in which he has scored for the club have ended in victories, with five of them coming at the Etihad Stadium.
13 – Manchester City have kept their 13th clean sheet of the campaign, more than any other team within the top five European leagues this season. Pragmatism.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 26, 2020
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