For Granit Xhaka the pain was excruciating. It came after a bang to a nerve in the back of his lower leg at Tottenham Hotspur last Sunday, only 20 minutes in, and the Arsenal midfielder feared he would have to come off. He gritted his teeth and battled on but when he eventually succumbed in the 65th minute his team were 2-0 down and heading for a morale-shattering defeat.

What a difference a week makes. Xhaka felt the same injury here and he was removed from the fray in the 76th minute. This time Arsenal were 2-0 up and coasting towards victory in a game they had to win.

Xhaka departed to a rousing ovation. He had made the difference, turning the afternoon in his team’s favour with a deflected pot-shot, and no one could say the break was not overdue for Xhaka, who has endured a difficult first season in England after his big-money move from Borussia Mönchengladbach, or his club.

José Mourinho writes off Manchester United’s chances of top-four finish Read more

There had been little on when the Swiss picked up possession early in the second half, 25 yards out and with this contest rather meandering. And so he shot. The Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera turned his back, the ball hit him there and it looped up. In what felt like slow-motion, it began its descent and David de Gea watched as it plopped under his crossbar.

Arsenal were up and running, their early nerves a distant memory, and when the former United striker Danny Welbeck rose to head home Alex Oxlade‑Chamberlain’s cross, after Anthony Martial had been robbed by Rob Holding, the die was cast. United had offered little in an attacking sense and, when they were asked to respond, it was no surprise they could not.

At the 16th time of asking Arsène Wenger could celebrate victory in a competitive match against a José Mourinho team. Arsenal will need a favour from elsewhere if they are to finish a difficult season in a Champions League position but at least they are still fighting.

As for United, this was the limpest of defeats and Mourinho’s post-match press conference, when he wrote off his team’s top-four chances and had a pop at Wenger for pressuring the fourth official, was much more entertaining than what his players served up on the pitch.

José Mourinho misses a trick for top four push with self-inflicted shunt Read more

Yes, they had two clear first-half chances, which Martial and Wayne Rooney could not take; Rooney’s opportunity was presented to him by an errant Holding back-pass rather than any creativity on United’s part. Petr Cech stood tall on both occasions. But Mourinho’s post‑match performance should not be allowed to obscure his team’s failings.

Opportunity had knocked loudly for them after Liverpool’s home draw against Southampton earlier in the day. Once again United had control of their destiny in terms of the fight for a Champions League finish via the league. They surrendered it and a single statistic continues to damn them. They have not scored a single goal away from home against a top-six club this season – and that includes the 1-0 FA Cup defeat against Chelsea.

They do retain a shot at next season’s Champions League via the Europa League, where they are 1-0 up against Celta Vigo after the first leg of the semi‑final. Win that competition, return to the Champions League and, with the EFL Cup in the bag, the season is a success. Yet it is plain Mourinho has much work to do and what was remarkable about this defeat which ended United’s 25-match unbeaten run in the league was how meek the manager was about it.

United have been described as injury-ravaged but Mourinho was without only five players because of various ailments – Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A sixth, Marouane Fellaini, was suspended.

Mourinho’s starting lineup was strong despite the eight changes he made from the first leg in Vigo last Thursday, although he was worried about how Phil Jones and Juan Mata would cope with their first football since late March. The same went for Chris Smalling, who had returned from a similar lay-off as a late substitute against Vigo.

Mourinho, though, would labour the point about how fatigued his squad are, having played three times each week since the beginning of April and certainly there was precious little spark about them.

Arsenal 2-0 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened Read more

Arsenal pressed on to the front foot, with United happy to attempt to counter-attack, and the home team had their chances in the first half. Aaron Ramsey drew a fine save out of De Gea from Alexis Sánchez’s through-ball; Welbeck was denied by a desperate Jones block following a corner; and Oxlade-Chamberlain tested De Gea with a deflected blast.

Mourinho had clashed with Wenger midway through the first half after the Arsenal manager complained to the fourth official about a tackle from Rooney on Oxlade-Chamberlain. The home crowd stirred but they truly crackled to life on the one-two punch from Xhaka and Welbeck. Rooney had a couple of efforts towards the end but United could have played on and on and not scored.