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LONDON. — Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, said his team had rediscovered their best form after Tuesday night’s thrashing of Southampton.
The Red Devils equalled the biggest win in English Premier League history as they crushed nine-man Southampton 9-0.
Arsenal had two players sent off in their 1-2 defeat at Wolves.
“We have been waiting on them (the players) to show the magic and tonight was a night that they could go and enjoy,” Norwegian Solskjaer told BT Sport on Tuesday.
“Confidence is one thing but it was about the mojo and spark, the X-factor. We haven’t had too many of them where we could sit down and enjoy the football.
“They enjoyed it . . . (there were) some good performances.”
Victory lifted the team to the top of the standings with 44 points, boosted Manchester United’s goal difference to 19 and Solskjaer said that could be important later in the season.
City beat Manchester United to the league title thanks to a better goal difference in the 2011-12 campaign after the teams finished level on points.
“You have to take your chances in tight or open games. You never know what might be the deciding factor,” Solskjaer said.
“We know better than anyone what goal difference can do to you because we’ve lost the league on goal difference.”
A seven-game unbeaten league run had propelled Arsenal back into contention for a return to the Champions League next season.
They could have moved to within five points of the top four after Nicolas Pepe’s strike opened the scoring at Molineux.
But, David Luiz’s third red card in two seasons as an Arsenal player for clipping Willian Jose on the stroke of half-time turned the game around.
Ruben Neves converted the resulting penalty before Joao Moutinho’s stunning long-range strike early in the second half put goal-shy Wolves in front.
Goalkeeper Bernd Leno then rounded off a miserable night for the visitors when he was also dismissed for handling outside his box.
A much-needed victory for Wolves ended an eight-game winless run and takes them 12 points clear of the relegation zone.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s men also completed a first league double over Arsenal in 42 years.
Arsenal remain in 10th, eight points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester, having played a game more.
“The team was really on top of the game, we should have been three or four-nil up and after the red card the game changed completely,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
“I’ve seen it 10 times in different angles and I cannot tell you where the contact is.” West Brom lost 2-1 at bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United, while Crystal Palace won 2-1 at struggling Newcastle. — AFP.
Online Reporter