One step forward, five giant leaps back. It is games like these that bring Manchester United back down to Earth and inconsistency like this that is becoming all too predictable.
Four days on from that stunning Champions League win against Bundesliga leaders RB Leipzig when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer outsmarted one of the most coveted managers in world football, Julian Nagelsmann, it turned out the diamond midfield from that night was not, in fact, the answer United have been desperately seeking and they were, for large swathes, barely able to get out of their own half against Arsenal.
Paul Pogba, so insatiable in his appetite to play on Wednesday night, couldn’t get the ball. Fred, so unflappable on Wednesday night, couldn’t stop fouling those with it. At one stage, Solskjaer shouted to Bruno Fernandes to “keep the shape” as the Portuguese struggled to have as much impact as Donny van de Beek, who occupied the top of the diamond against Leipzig. Scott McTominay came in for Nemanja Matic at its base and, admittedly, did well screening the back four.
By half-time United had only eight per cent of their touches in Arsenal’s half of the pitch – their lowest recording in all 100 of Solskjaer’s matches in charge – and they were spectacularly sloppy.
Luke Shaw lost the ball just outside his own penalty area and Willian’s one-two with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang carved out space for a shot from the Brazilian that trimmed David de Gea’s crossbar.
Enter the second half and Fred let Marcus Rashford’s header back into his own half run on, allowing Alexandre Lacazette to pounce upon it. As United attack turned into defence in the blink of an eye, Lacazette played in Aubameyang who shaped and shot for the far corner and would usually have found it, but the ball skidded wide. Eventually – mercifully – Fred was hooked for Matic.
Pogba gave away as awful and pointless a penalty as you will see, one that resulted in the opening and only goal of the game. Hector Bellerin zipped in behind the midfielder and onto a pass into United’s penalty area from Willian. To Pogba it did not seem to matter that Bellerin was running completely away from United’s goal, nullifying any threat. Taken by surprise and reacting late, Pogba tripped the Arsenal full-back.
Aubameyang dispatched the penalty for only his first Premier League goal since signing a new contract in September.
New Arsenal signing Thomas Partey won the ball back again and again and again and again. Fortunately compensating for the many, many, many, many times that team-mate Willian lost it.
Partey was a huge plus for Arsenal: only his fourth game since a £45million move from Atletico Madrid, he is already dictating their midfield, recovering possession and with a driving dribble and/or forward-thinking pass turning defence into attack in a matter of seconds, an area that has been distinctly lacking from Arsenal’s slow, patient, passing build-up coached deep into their bones by Mikel Arteta.
Alongside Partey, Mohamed Elneny had an equally as impressive game – what it lacked in eloquence he more than made up for in industriousness – showing there is perhaps life yet in north London for the bit-part Egyptian, who spent last season on loan at Besiktas and had looked to be on his way out at the club. Although – granted – Elneny did get a touch lucky when he slid to block Shaw’s low cross late on and sent the ball back off Bernd Leno’s left post.
Arsenal’s other new signing Gabriel was booked for a tug on Rashford’s shirt in the first half and was perhaps lucky to stay on when he tripped Mason Greenwood, who had rounded him with clever skill in the second. But keeping the young striker and Rashford at bay is, as RB Leipzig discovered, no easy job for 90 minutes.
So it concluded with an Arsenal victory by a single goal and their first Premier League win at Old Trafford in 14 years, and the Gunners moving up to seventh.
Even taking into consideration the absence of supporters inside Old Trafford, this fixture has certainly lost its fizz and oomph of the Ferguson-Wenger years. It was the first time United had been as low as 15th in the Premier League when they faced Arsenal in this fixture. First v second has turned into 15th vs 13th.
It is growing hard to keep track of how many giant leaps back United have taken since those glorious days.
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