Arsenal had to settle for a point at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, with a series of outstanding saves from David Raya preventing Manchester United from claiming a memorable victory.
The Gunners dominated possession early on and maintained territorial control throughout the first half. However, their attacking efficiency from Tuesday night was lacking, as they struggled to break down a solid United defense.
Mikel Merino came close with an early shot that narrowly missed Andre Onana’s post, while Leandro Trossard fired a powerful effort wide from the edge of the box after Martin Ødegaard forced Onana into a routine save.
United posed little threat in the first half, but a brilliant Bruno Fernandes free-kick gave them a 1-0 lead at the break.
Emboldened by their advantage, United looked the more dangerous side after the restart. Despite their earlier struggles, they tested Raya with a stunning save to deny Noussair Mazraoui, followed by another crucial stop to smother Joshua Zirkzee’s delicate close-range flick.
Raya’s heroics in the second half kept Arsenal in the game, and after a period of relatively unthreatening pressure, Declan Rice equalized with a superb strike, set up by some neat footwork from Jurrien Timber.
Both sides had chances to claim all three points in the dying moments, with the best falling to Fernandes in stoppage time. However, Raya came to the rescue once more, denying the Portuguese midfielder with another fantastic save to ensure the game ended in a 1-1 draw at the Theatre of Dreams.
