Eddie Nketiah was Arsenal's hero as they secured yet another seismic win in the Premier League.It looked for all intents and purposes that the league leaders' true mettle would be tested by the recent fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.But to the surprise of even Arsenal fans themselves, Mikel Arteta's side have navigated the crunch fixtures with aplomb and taken a full six points.
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However, that doesn't mean that there weren't a few shaky moments along the way, because it looked for a long time as though Arsenal might have been forced to settle for a draw with United.
That's because the Gunners entered the closing exchanges at Emirates Stadium tied at 2-2 with Lisandro Martinez's stooping header having cancelled out Bukayo Saka's sizzling strike.
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Nketiah had scored an equaliser of his own earlier in the match, responding to Marcus Rashford's fine finish by evading Aaron Wan-Bissaka at the back post and heading home from close range.
And the 23-year-old continued to be a thorn in United's side all night, almost scoring a finely struck winner when his left-footed drive forced a fabulous save from David de Gea.
Of course, we know that Nketiah did indeed go onto bag the deciding goal on the night with an instinctive flick, but his battle with De Gea also had a strange and controversial twist beforehand.
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What happened between De Gea and Nketiah?
That's because the United number one went down in his own penalty area in the 86th minute after what looked to have been a challenge from Nketiah in rather trivial circumstances.
With the wide angle of the broadcast not showing the collision in most cases, you'd have thought from De Gea's reaction that something serious had happened and that Nketiah could well find himself in trouble.
Boos rang out around the Emirates as the Spanish shot-stopper rolled around in discomfort on the pitch and scrunched his face into expressions of pain and discomfort.
However, when the replays took a closer look at things, the heckling of the Arsenal fans made more and more sense because it didn't exactly look favourably upon De Gea.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: David De Gea of Manchester United applauds the fans after the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 22, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
That's because Nketiah essentially just tugged half-heartedly at De Gea's arm as he ran past with the ball in his hands, which he shouldn't have done, it must be said, but nevertheless seemed not to warrant the theatrical reaction that came after it.
In fact, you probably won't be surprised to hear that Twitter was quick in its indictment of De Gea's behaviour, teasing him for what many considered to both a delayed and over-the-top reaction.
But don't just take their word for it, check out the footage yourself, because it certainly makes for a bewildering chapter in Nketiah and De Gea's fascinating head-to-head in north London.
Video: De Gea's reaction to being touched by Nketiah
How did football fans react?
It's not a great look, is it?
While the whole 'footballers go down too easily' narrative goes too far sometimes and simply lacks any ounce of empathy, it's hard to bang the drum that players are given a bad rap when instances like De Gea vs Nketiah come along.
That's not to say that De Gea wasn't in any pain at all nor that he was out to deceive, but the video certainly implies that he did - how shall we say? - lean into any discomfort that he might have been experiencing.
Either way, though, Nketiah had the last laugh, because he wasn't cautioned for the collision and would score the most dramatic of winners for the Gunners just a few minutes down the track.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Eddie Nketiah celebrates with Bukayo Saka of Arsenal after scoring the team's third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Manchester United at Emirates Stadium on January 22, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Say what you like about his credentials leading the line of potential Premier League winners, but it really has been a case of so far, so good.
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