By Victor Kanayo
Arsenal on Sunday January 22, 2023 defeated Manchester United 3-2 at the Emirates in one of the English Premier League (EPL) matches.
It was the heroics from striker Eddie Nketiah that separated both sides and gave Arsenal a comeback victory.
The match lived up to its expectations with United forward Marcus Rashford opening score, but the lead was short-lived when Nketiah headed Arsenal back level from Granit Xhaka’s cross.
The second half saw more goals as winger Bukayo Saka drove in from the left wing hitting a sensational finish low into the far corner past outstreched United goalkeeper David de Gea in the 53rd minute.
This time, it was United that responded six minutes later, with defender Lisandro Martinez taking advantage of a fumble from Ramsdale and diving for a header to make it two a piece.
In the dying minutes of the game, Nketiah found himself on the end of a pass from Martin Odegaard and calmly finished into the bottom right corner to give the home side the win.
The victory has ensured that Arsenal remain top of the table, five points ahead of Manchester City with a game in hand.
On the other hand, United are in third, 11 points off the leaders.
Earlier same day, Manchester City walloped Wolves 3-0 to close the gap on the gunners.
The three goals were scored by Erling Haaland who got his fourth City hat-trick and took his goal tally for the season to 31 in all competitions.
Haaland has now scored 25 goals in City’s first 20 Premier League games. That is five more than Luis Suarez managed in 2013-14 season, the previous highest figure at this stage in the campaign.
The Norwegian striker’s current total would have been enough to earn him the Golden Boot in more than half of the 30 seasons since the English top-flight was renamed in 1992.
He has also already scored as many Premier League hat-tricks as Mo Salah, and a third of Sergio Aguero’s record 12, which the Argentine achieved across his magnificent decade with City.
Only Alan Shearer has scored more Premier League hat-tricks in a single season, with five.
