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Rice heroics rescue dramatic draw for Arsenal at Manchester United

By Primenewsghana
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Declan Rice delivered heroics at both ends of Old Trafford to earn Arsenal a dramatic 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

The hosts looked on course for a morale-boosting victory thanks to Bruno Fernandes' controversial free-kick, which the United captain had clipped in after referee Anthony Taylor set the Arsenal wall back 11.2 yards rather than the minimum 10 yards.

United had chances to add to that lead when David Raya brilliantly saved close-range efforts from Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee and Arsenal's toothlessness in the final third gave the home fans hope of back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

 But Rice brilliantly whipped in Jurrien Timber's cutback to level the match with 16 minutes to go and then, moments later, slid in when sub Rasmus Hojlund was clean through, 15 yards out and primed to end his 20-game goal drought with a winner. Rice celebrated the tackle almost as emphatically as the goal.

During a frantic finale, Gabriel again denied Hojlund with a sharp intervention in the box before fit-again Gabriel Martinelli skied over a parried shot and was relieved to see an offside flag go up. A double save from Raya capped off the incredible drama at the end of a game which had been billed as a 'nothing match' for both sides.

Ultimately, the draw does little for either in terms of their Premier League campaigns, with Arsenal now 15 points behind leaders Liverpool. The table-toppers need a maximum of 16 points from their final nine games to wrap up the title. Man Utd only edge back up to 14th.

But it served to underline Arsenal's desperate need for a No 9 - despite their goal-fest against poor PSV in the Champions League.

And it was also perhaps a performance to put some confidence into Ruben Amorim's United side, ahead of their crucial Europa League last-16 second leg with Real Sociedad back here on Thursday.

The United supporters, who had protested against the club's ownership and treatment of fans before, during and after the game, cheered their team off and will go into that tie with hope now.

 

Skysports