There are many reasons why Arsenal’s victory at Manchester United on Sunday felt like a notable one for Mikel Arteta’s evolving side.
It ended a miserable run of 14 years without success in the league at Old Trafford, a run that stretched back all the way to September 17, 2006 when Emmanuel Adebayor’s poked finish snatched a late 1-0 success.
It was also the Gunners’ first win away at one of the so called ‘Big Six’ since a Santi Cazorla masterclass inspired them to a 2-0 victory at Manchester City in 2015.
They have had 29 attempts at ending that run since victory at the Etihad Stadium, but all had proved unsuccessful, with just 10 points picked up over five painful years.
“Obviously there are many factors for that and it’s not a coincidence,” said Arteta, when discussing Arsenal’s dismal recent record away against their rivals at the top of the Premier League.
“We have to change that dramatically and very quickly if we want to be fighting with the big teams. Because if we don’t, we aren’t going to have that consistency that’s required at the top level, so it’s big belief for the players as well.
“To be fair, this season we went to Anfield and we played them face to face, then we went to the Etihad and we didn’t accept to lose the game, then we came here [Old Trafford] and did the same, except this time we won.
“It generates the belief and it binds everyone together. I’m really happy that after 14 years without a win, we were able to do what we did.”
Mentally, ending that winless away run will be huge for Arteta’s side. But perhaps the biggest thing to come from the victory at Old Trafford was the way Arsenal’s new £70 million spine propelled them to their success.
If there were some outside of Arsenal who had yet to truly understand the quality that Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey have added to Arteta’s side, then they do now.
The two summer recruits were superb on Sunday and integral to a victory that ultimately was secured with relative ease.
