Sheffield United 1-0 Arsenal: 5 Hits and Flops from the game | Premier League 2019-20
Sheffield United halted Arsenal's eight-match unbeaten run with a telling 1-0 victory over Unai Emery's men.
A timely opening in the 30th minute from Lys Mousset - in his first start for the Blades - eventually resulted in the most important touch of the game as the visitors struggled to carve open a sturdy, robust, determined Sheffield backline.
While the Gunners headed into this fixture on the back of five wins in six, Chris Wilder's men had to make a point to their pious supporters, who had stood witness to three consecutive home losses prior to this match-up.
"For the club to host a game like this, the magnitude of it - to play well and get a win is massive. We came under pressure in the second half but we limited them to a few chances and we backed up a good performance with a good result," said Wilder, after his side held on to keep their lead.
The win now means Arsenal have slipped to fifth place, two behind Leicester City and fierce rivals Chelsea, whereas Sheffield United's gritty football has seen them jump to ninth place, level on points with Bournemouth, Burnley, and Tottenham.
On that note, we look at five players who experienced contrasting fortunes at Bramall Lane.
#5 Hit: Dean Henderson
Dean Henderson put in another splendid display following that spill against Liverpool three weeks ago. The Englishman was decisive with his positioning, ordering, and timing throughout the evening.
Against a stacked Arsenal attack, he ought to be.
In total, he made three commendable saves on the evening. He kept out a Pepe free-kick which was more or less comfortable, but a timely dive at full stretch to thwart Granit Xhaka's thunderous effort from distance was spectacular.
Owing to his alertness, Henderson's performance looked far easier than it actually was. He has responded well since the Liverpool blunder and now stands out with an incredible 26 save-tally in the Premier League this season. Well-deserved clean sheet.