There were times when this felt like more of a fouling contest than a football match. A day for petty squabbling rather than pretty passing. In the end, then, it was probably fair that the team who played more football – just about – claimed all three points.
Across 90 angsty minutes, there was only one real moment of attacking class: Mikel Merino’s exceptional header, flicked into the far corner in the first half. The Arsenal midfielder-turned-striker will never be a proper centre-forward but this was an intervention of which even the most traditional No 9 would be proud.