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City could only blame themselves after missing a hatful of chances and twice throwing away the lead to drop points at home once more

Manchester City dropped two more points against a top-six side and once again could only blame themselves after failing to put Tottenham out of sight in a thrilling 3-3 draw on Sunday.

Son Heung-min caught City on the hop to give Spurs the lead after his side cut through the champions on the counter-attack, but moments later put the ball through his own net. Phil Foden's sensational team goal then put City in front and they should have killed the game off, with Erling Haaland missing big chances either side of half-time.

But they let their foot off the gas in the second half and twice surrendered the lead – first via Giovani Lo Celso's sizzling strike and then Dejan Kulusevski's header, after Jack Grealish had restored the champions' advantage.

GOAL rates Man City's players from the Etihad Stadium…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Ederson (5/10):

Made a hash of Son's shot, which squirmed through his arms. Blameless for Lo Celso's thumper or Kulusevski's late header.

Kyle Walker (7/10):

Made excellent recovery runs and stayed well on top of the threat of Udogie and Gil down his flank.

Manuel Akanji (6/10):

Made a strong start in the hybrid defence/midfield role but stood back more in the second, playing into Spurs' hands.

Ruben Dias (6/10):

Made a crucial slide tackle to prevent Kulusevski finding Son.

Josko Gvardiol (5/10):

Struggled to keep a handle on Kulusevski and had to resort to fouling him, earning a booking.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Bernardo Silva (6/10):

A sloppy pass nearly led to a big Spurs chance. Otherwise played well.

Rodri (6/10):

A mixed bag. Made some sloppy passes and tackles and is now suspended for the trip to Aston Villa. Made amends by sparking the Grealish's goal as he seized the ball from Bissouma.

Phil Foden (8/10):

Made lots of nice moves, often dictating play from deep. His finish was a work of art.

Getty ImagesAttack

Julian Alvarez (7/10):

Had a hand in City's first two goals but gave the ball away before Lo Celso struck.

Erling Haaland (5/10):

A lousy performance both in his build-up play and his finishing, particularly his sitter in the first half. Half made up for it by setting up Grealish's goal with a deft touch.

Jeremy Doku (7/10):

Electric and unpredictable. Unlucky not to score when he hit the woodwork. Taken off in the 52nd minute with an injury.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Jack Grealish (8/10):

Made a huge impact and drew lots of attention from Spurs' players, who kept on fouling him. Scored a fine goal which looked to have won the game.

Rico Lewis (7/10):

Kept the ball well and was strong defensively too.

Nathan Ake (N/A):

Came on in the 87th minute and was beaten in the air for Kulusevski's goal.

Mateo Kovacic (N/A):

Came on in the 87th minute.

Pep Guardiola (5/10):

Made an uncharacteristically large number of substitutions to try and fix things. Taking Foden off didn't make much sense and has now dropped four points in consecutive home games, admittedly against very strong opponents.

The Arsenal winger scored three as a rampant England side battered North Macedonia to continue their perfect start to Euro 2024 qualifying.

Bukayo Saka bagged his first England hat-trick, turning in a star showing as the Three Lions brushed aside a helpless North Macedonia with a 7-0 win.

Harry Kane opened the scoring, firing home from short range after a surging run and cross from Luke Shaw. Two more came in the opening period. First, it was Saka, lashing into the roof of the net after a sweeping move down the right. Marcus Rashford then provided a decisive third right before the break, continuing his strong run of form in an England shirt.

And more came after half-time. The emerging connection between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Saka continued to be productive, with the Arsenal man smashing a looping ball into the top corner for a stunning fourth.

The rout only continued, with Saka, Kalvin Phillips and Kane all finding the net to complete an emphatic evening, and inflict North Macedonia's heaviest-ever defeat.

GOAL rates England's players from Old Trafford…

GettyGoalkeeper & Defence

Jordan Pickford (6/10):

Didn't face a single shot. His quietest night in a while.

Kyle Walker (7/10):

Rapid as ever, grabbed an assist, linked up well with Alexander-Arnold. Can still be excellent at 33.

John Stones (6/10):

Back to a more conventional centre-back role, and didn't really have to do much.

Harry Maguire (6/10):

Entrusted with another England start. Made one very funny run into the North Macedonia box.

Luke Shaw (8/10):

Assisted the opener, did the necessary defensive work. A player full of confidence.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold (8/10):

Once again thrived in a midfield role. Completed all-but two of his passes, assisted the fourth, and was instrumental in the build-up for two others.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Tidy on the day, even though he didn't have all that much to do.

Jordan Henderson (7/10):

Typically energetic, won the ball a lot, but probably needs a rest.

Attack

Bukayo Saka (10/10):

Smashed one into the roof of the net with his right foot. Went even better for his second, blasting home from outside the box. Finished his hat-trick by beating the keeper in a one-on-one. A special player.

Harry Kane (8/10):

Bagged his 57th international goal to put England ahead – an easy tap in from close range. Scored his 58th from the spot in the second half. Also assisted Saka's third.

Marcus Rashford (8/10):

Grabbed the third goal, and was a menace in his standout 60 minutes. Has scored in both of his last two starts for the Three Lions.

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Subs & Manager

Conor Gallagher (5/10):

Ran around a lot, but tried to do too much at times.

Kalvin Phillips (6/10):

An unlikely goalscorer. Good to see him get some minutes under his belt.

Jack Grealish (6/10):

Came on when the game was mostly finished. Does he have Southgate's full trust?

Phil Foden (6/10):

A few nice touches on the right. Still hasn't found his best in an England shirt.

Callum Wilson (N/A):

A brief cameo. Now seems to be the preferred back-up to Kane.

Gareth Southgate (9/10):

Back to his 4-3-3, with most of his presumptive first choice XI in the squad. The opposition were poor on the day, but he will have few complaints about such a big win.

England are preparing to open their quest for Women’s World Cup glory in 2023, but can they dethrone the all-conquering USWNT?

The Lionesses have headed to Australia and New Zealand as reigning European champions and winners of the inaugural Finalissima from back in April. Sarina Wiegman’s side are – despite having to deal with a number of unfortunate injuries – expected to go well Down Under and will feel as though they are a match for anybody on their day.

The United States are, however, the current holders and four-time winners of FIFA’s flagship event, with an almighty effort required from somebody in order to wrestle a global crown from their clutches.

Can England do that and what will it take to halt the USWNT’s relentless march towards title number five?

GOAL put those questions to Lionesses legend Rachel Yankey.

GettyReady to roar!

Quizzed on whether England are, player for player, a match for any other team in the tournament at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Yankey – speaking in association with – told GOAL: “Great question. I think it’s a good squad. Obviously if there weren’t injuries, it would probably be a different squad. I suppose throughout the three group games, we’ll see. I think the attack looks stronger than our defence – our defence is relatively unknown. You need time to form partnerships and obviously with players being injured and being out, that hasn’t been the case, but there is no reason why they can’t really go on and be strong. I think there will be more tinkering with this squad and group and the XI that starts than there was in the Euros.”

AdvertisementGettyFear factor

Pressed on whether there are any chinks in the American armour that could be exposed by the likes of England – with any side harbouring ambitions of going all the way likely to have go through the USWNT at some stage – Yankey said: “Yeah. Again, I think their defence. I don’t think they have got the strongest defence that they could have had. I always think that the way English teams play, you always have a chance of beating the USA. Even teams that I played for, and knowing a few of the U.S. National Team when we were playing, they always had a fear against the English – in terms of how we play football. It was more back then the mentality of did we really believe that we were good enough?”

GettyBelieve!

Ted Lasso, the star of the hit Apple TV+ show, was big on the power of belief at AFC Richmond and Yankey feels that quality could serve England well on the back of their recent successes. She added: “I think this squad, because they have won the Euros, actually will go into this World Cup believing that they are good enough, and that’s powerful. I wouldn’t be fearful of playing the U.S. Sometimes it’s easier to play the bigger nations. I know it’s a more difficult game, but you’re not playing against that underdog – not to say that there is complacency, but you have got to up your standard, you know that when you come across a team like Spain, like USA, France, Germany, you have got to be at your best because at any time they could beat you. I think this England team will be able to look back at their experiences from the Euros and that will put them in a really good place.”

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GettyWinning mentality

England now know what it takes to win a major tournament, while coach Wiegman boasts two continental triumphs to her name. Yankey said when asked if that winning mentality is what separates the class of 2023 from the Lionesses of years gone by, with there a belief now that they can beat anybody: “100 per cent. That’s why, for me, players like Lucy Bronze, you need players like that – that never say die and always pushing on for the next thing. OK, she hasn’t got the captain’s armband, but she is definitely a leader in that team. You need your team to be strong off the pitch. In tournament football it’s about being close, having each other’s back, and it seems like they have that. Draw on the experiences from the Euros, you believe in the manager. When you are maybe questioning if that’s the right thing, well she has been there, done it and won the Euros twice. That gives you a bit more faith to listen to the words and to go out for the tactics and what you want to do.”

Roy Keane was left fuming at Goodison Park as a fan kept filming him instead of watching Manchester United's clash against Everton.

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Keane rages at fan for filming him during Everton vs Man UtdAsked the person to stop filming and start watching the matchMan Utd thrashed Everton 3-0WHAT HAPPENED?

The United legend was seen raging at a fan at Goodison Park as the person kept filming him instead of watching the Premier League match between Everton and Red Devils.

As the fan zoomed the camera towards Keane, the former United skipper could be seen making angry gestures pointing to the ground while telling the person to concentrate on the game instead of filming him.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On the pitch, the Red Devils picked up a comprehensive 3-0 win over the Toffees courtesy of goals from Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

The Argentine youngster opened the scoring for his club in the third minute of the game with a fabulous acrobatic bicycle kick that evoked memories of Cristiano Ronaldo's famous strike for Real Madrid against Juventus in the Champions League in 2018.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

Erik ten Hag's side will next take on Galatasaray in a must-win Champions League group stage clash on Wednesday in Istanbul.

GOAL has put together a stellar line-up made up solely of players from countries that failed to qualify for this year's finals

Qualification is not yet complete for the 2022 World Cup, with three spots still up for grabs, but we already know that some of the game's greatest players won't be travelling to Qatar.

Indeed, GOAL has been able to put together a stellar line-up comprised solely of superstars who will be sitting at home when the tournament gets under way later this year.

You can check out our adventurous 3-4-3 formation below and feel free to post your own selections in the comment box provided….

GettyGK: Gianluigi Donnarumma

It's a real shame that we won't get to see Slovakia and Atletico Madrid ace Jan Oblak at the finals but the absence of Gianluigi Donnarumma is even more shocking.

After all, the giant goalkeeper was named player of the tournament at Euro 2020, after playing a key role in Italy's surprise triumph.

Donnarumma, though, was powerless to prevent the Azzurri from sensationally failing to qualify for Qatar, with Roberto Mancini's side upset by North Macedonia in the play-offs.

The Paris Saint-Germain shot-stopper is still only 23 and should get plenty more chances to grace a World Cup but elimination was the last thing he needed right now, given his poor form and ongoing struggle too establish himself at the Parc des Princes this season.

AdvertisementGettyCB: Milan Skriniar

Slovakia may have finished third in their UEFA qualifying group but they didn't really come close to securing even a play-off berth.

It's a shame for Milan Skriniar, who played every minute of his nation's unsuccessful campaign.

The much-coveted Inter defender is widely regarded as one of the finest centre-backs in the game today but the 27-year-old may never get the chance to compete in a World Cup.

GettyCB: Giorgio Chiellini

Giorgio Chiellini was almost at a loss for words after Italy's shock 1-0 loss to North Macedonia, admitting he was "crushed" by his nation's failure to qualify for a second consecutive World Cup.

It's easy to understand why. The veteran centre-back will turn 38 later this year. Chiellini may have played a pivotal role in Italy's emotional Euro 2020 victory but he will never get another chance to take to the game's greatest stage.

That's good news for forwards all over the world, of course, but a blow for neutrals, who felt one of the great defenders of the modern era deserved to bring the curtain down on his international career at World Cup 2022.

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GettyCB: David Alaba

We could have put David Alaba in several positions in this team. The Real Madrid ace is that versatile. And he's that good.

It was tough, then, to see Austria beaten in the UEFA play-offs by Wales, as there is now a very real prospect that Alaba will never play in a World Cup.

At 29, he should definitely have one more crack at qualification, but it's worth pointing out that Austria haven't made it to a finals since 1998.

David Beckham brutally mocked his wife Victoria's feet on Valentine's Day after the Spice Girl got injured in the gym.

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Victoria Beckham suffers foot injuryHusband David mocks her feetContrasting posts on Valentine's DayGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Earlier on Wednesday, Beckham initially thanked his wife for getting him the latest edition of The Country Smallholder magazine due to his new-found love of chickens, the 48-year-old then wished her a happy Valentine's Day on his Instagram story feed. However, shortly after seeing Victoria had complained about a foot injury she had suffered; instead of sympathising with her, the former England captain made fun of the 49-year-old.

AdvertisementInstagramWHAT DAVID BECKHAM SAID

After Victoria posted an Instagram story of her foot under a bag of ice and captioned it, "Happy Valentine's Day to me… Fell over in the gym!!!!, followed by a facepalm emoji, David poked fun at his wife.

He wrote: "How big is your toe? Wow. I never noticed that before," followed by the confused face emoji.

GettyTHE GOSSIP

The world-famous couple have a history of ribbing one another on social media following decades of being with one another. The pair, who also posted old photos of each other over the years on Valentine's Day, are likely to continue this back and forth for some time.

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WHAT NEXT?

Away from their relationship, David, who co-owns Inter Miami, will be focused on his team getting off to a good start in the 2024 MLS season next week. Miami are at home to Real Salt Lake on February 22, before facing the ex-winger's former team LA Galaxy four days later.

Al-Hilal's Ruben Neves admitted that he almost joined Barcelona last summer, but opted for a Saudi Pro League move instead.

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Neves left Wolves after six years in 2023Was heavily linked with Barcelona, ArsenalAl-Hilal top of Saudi Pro LeagueWHAT HAPPENED?

Neves negotiated a long-expected departure from Wolves last summer, signing for Al-Hilal in a deal worth €55 million (£47m/$60m). But things almost went a different way, with both Barca and Arsenal coming close to securing his signature.

AdvertisementWHAT NEVES SAID

In an interview with Portuguese publication , Neves elaborated on his busy summer: "I was close to three clubs and finally it didn’t happen, which saddened me and helped me make the decision to go to Al-Hilal. I didn’t want to name names, but Barcelona was one of the hottest and it wasn’t a lie. It almost happened, as happened with Arsenal. Then there was another club outside of England. These were events that accumulated and then, with this golden opportunity, I had no doubts in accepting it. I was already hardened by transfers that do not happen."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Neves had enjoyed a successful season in the Saudi Pro League, starting 19 of a possible 21 games for the title favourites, and has six assists to his name. Barcelona, meanwhile, failed to spend big last summer, instead opting to bring in former Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan on a free.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NEVES?

Neves was linked with Newcastle move in January but spurned interest to stay in Saudi Arabia. He will continue to feature for Al-Hilal for the coming months, and will also hope to stay in the Portuguese national team setup under Roberto Martinez.

As expected, Les Bleus find themselves at the knockout stage of the World Cup. GOAL takes a look at their key players.

France progressed to the 2022 World Cup knockouts by virtue of topping Group D.

Les Bleus are the defending champions and head coach Didier Deschamps will hope that his troops can become the third nation to win successive championships after Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962).

Les Bleus dispatched Australia 4-1 in their opener, edged out Denmark courtesy of a brace from Kylian Mbappe, but went down to Tunisia on matchday three.

GOAL takes a look at the best France players at Qatar 2022.

GettyKylian Mbappe | PSG | FW

Mbappe is undoubtedly their key player. He has already impressed at the tournament with three strikes to his name and will be looking to add more to his tally against Poland.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was the difference-maker against Denmark as he single-handedly steered Les Bleus to the three points.

He has had nine more shots (16) and five more shots on target (7) than any other France player at the 2022 World Cup, which shows his importance to the squad.

AdvertisementGettyAntoine Griezmann | Atletico Madrid | FW

Antoine Griezmann provides the creative spark in this French team playing in a typical number 10 role. He pulls apart defences and has the calibre to make those incisive passes in the attacking third.

He has created more chances than any other France player at the 2022 World Cup (11). Indeed, the only player to create 10+ in either of the last two World Cup tournaments for France has been Griezmann, while he’s already surpassed his total from 2018 when Les Bleus lifted the trophy (10).

GettyOlivier Giroud | AC Milan | FW

The AC Milan forward is ageing like fine wine. In the absence of Karim Benzema, Giroud has stepped up his game and scored twice against Australia. With that, he matched Thierry Henry's all-time international goalscoring record of 51, although Giroud has hit the number in nine fewer appearances than his counterpart.

The 36-year-old forward offers France a focal point in the penalty box, has the ability to hold up the ball and can tee up his teammates which makes him lethal. He was integral to the team that lifted the World Cup in 2018 and remains important four years later.

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Getty ImagesAdrien Rabiot | Juventus | MF

The Juventus midfielder has always divided opinion but this season Adrien Rabiot has been in the form of his life. He has been thriving in Turin with some great displays and against Australia, he showed that he can contribute with his goals too as he headed home the equaliser.

Rabiot then created the second after nicking possession and leaving Giroud with a simple tap-in. He could have scored against Australia as well but was denied by a defiant Kasper Schmeichel.

Definitely one to watch against Poland.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is famed for his running speed, but Rasmus Hojlund claims to be even quicker over the turf.

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England ace is famed for his paceDanish striker now on boardTight race predicted between pairWHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford’s ability to race past opponents has helped him to become an established star at Old Trafford and an international performer with 55 England caps to his name. Jamaican sprint king Usain Bolt is among his many admirers, with the Olympic gold medallist conceding that even he would struggle to live with Rashford’s pace over a short distance.

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Hojlund – who joined United for £72 million ($89m) during the summer transfer window – says he is even quicker than Rashford, telling reporters when asked who would prevail in a race between the pair: “That’s me.” He added on linking up with Rashford in speedy counter-attacks: “We try to talk to each other and he knows I'm going to be there. He knows I can keep up with his pace when we go on the counter.”

WHAT THEY SAID

Rashford has made a slow start to the 2023-24 campaign, with United often struggling as a collective, but Hojlund is backing a proven performer to come good. He added: “I really like and enjoy playing with him. He is a world-class player. He's a player I've looked up to, even though he's only a few years older than me. He has done well since he came in as a 19-year-old and scored against Midtjylland. I think he has been a great player ever since, and it is of course great that we are team-mates today.”

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Rashford hit 30 goals for United across all competitions last season, earning him a new contract, but has just one effort to his name this term. Hojlund has delivered more end product for the Red Devils, with the 20-year-old Denmark international striker finding the target on three occasions through eight appearances.

The Gunners' club-record signing has already become a fan favourite in north London and has given his new team an edge they previously lacked

Arsenal were already a very good side; Declan Rice could make them a great one. The Gunners went all out to get the England midfielder in the summer, doing all the groundwork and then outbidding Manchester City to get their man. And on early impressions, it was worth every sinew of energy, and every penny of his £105 million ($132m) transfer fee.

Rice was dominant for Arsenal in Sunday's thriller against Manchester United, and when push came to shove it was the club-record signing who came to the fore and grabbed the crucial goal in the eventual 3-1 win. It was not the best goal Rice has ever scored, taking a big deflection off Jonny Evans and flummoxing the otherwise excellent Andre Onana, but it is among the most important strikes of the 24-year-old's career.

Arsenal were in danger of losing to United despite dominating the first half, with VAR needing to intervene to prevent Alejandro Garnacho putting the impressive visitors back in front late in the game. But Rice, who had had the better of Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes for much of this gripping encounter, pulled Arsenal back in front in the 96th minute, before Gabriel Jesus made sure of the points.

It was a huge victory for Arsenal, who have 10 points from their opening four games, and will give them belief that they can catch early front-runners City, who chased them down last season. United, meanwhile, were left cursing their dreadful away form once more and left even more concerned by an alarmingly long injury list.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty ImagesWINNER: Declan Rice

As soon as the final whistle had blown, Arsenal’s stadium DJ pressed play on Vanilla Ice’s 'Ice Ice Baby' and the party began in earnest. Gunners fans were already pretty high on their new defensive midfielder, but after his deflected effort secured a vital three points, any remaining doubters were emphatically inducted into the Rice Fan Club.

It wasn’t just his goal that was so impressive on Sunday. Rice oozed class throughout this encounter. He was the rock-solid base that his side used to dominate large spells of this game, and when Arsenal didn’t have the ball he was soon on the hunt to win it back. 

When you consider the shoddy start fellow £100m-plus midfielder Moises Caicedo has endured in west London, that Rice has taken like a duck to water at the Emirates is even more impressive. He is already looking like an extremely sound investment.

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: Ten Hag's dismal away record

You had to feel for United. This was arguably their best performance of the season and a huge improvement on some of their frankly shambolic away displays of last term. But ultimately they had the same result: yet another loss at the home of a top-nine side.

Erik ten Hag's team picked up just one point away to the top nine sides last season, losing to Arsenal, Brighton, Newcastle and Aston Villa (in addition to relegation-fighting West Ham) while getting hammered by Liverpool, Brentford and Manchester City. And they have made another ominous start to the season on the road, losing to Tottenham and now Arsenal.

This was a much better effort than their dismal defeat to Spurs, but the manner of this loss is only going to increase their mental block every time they head off on an away trip. The good news is that their next away game is against Burnley, who have no points from their three matches – all at home – so far.

WINNER: Gabriel Magalhaes

Gabriel Magalhaes – who did not miss a single Premier League match last season – has been the victim of Mikel Arteta’s tactical experiments in recent weeks, and the defender would’ve had the Gunners’ boss recent comments ringing in his ears when he was restored to the starting line-up here. 

“I think he understands the reason [for not starting], whether he agrees or not, that’s something different. But the best way to do it is when you play, just tell me how blind I’m wrong, I am,” Arteta said. 

The centre-back responded to this challenge emphatically against United, scarcely putting a foot wrong at the back and keeping the ball nicely. Arteta is always looking for the next innovation, but the return of his trusted back four proved that the familiar can sometimes be best. Gabriel’s challenge now is to keep his place when Thomas Partey returns to the fray.

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Kai Havertz

The debate surrounding Havertz’s immediate future in the Arsenal first-team had reached fever pitch in the days leading up to kick-off. In the end, an untimely injury to Partey likely saved him his place in midfield on Sunday – but on the evidence of his performance against United, he might not last too much longer.

After floating on the periphery of the action in the opening exchanges, the German’s big moment fell to him on a plate. A diabolical clearance from Diogo Dalot sat the ball up nicely for Havertz, but in a moment of pure farce, he air-kicked it and Lisandro Martinez was able to clear.

The circus continued soon after when Havertz lost possession cheaply in midfield. A few flashes of black and white later and the ball was nestling in the back of the net. Havertz’s face after Marcus Rashford’s effort flew past Aaron Ramsdale told the story of a player who knows he’s already under serious pressure just a few weeks into his ‘fresh start’.

He thought he might have redeemed himself somewhat when he won a penalty just before the hour mark, but Havertz’s miserable day at the office was capped off when VAR intervened and overturned Anthony Taylor’s original decision.