Manchester United missed a golden opportunity to cling onto Manchester City’s coattails at the top of the Premier League by failing to beat an under-strength Arsenal on Saturday.
Kieran Tierney and Bukayo Saka, competing neck and neck for Arsenal’s Player of the Season award were absent through injury, as was captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang who is quarantining after a period of leave on compassionate grounds. But for much of Saturday’s cat and mouse clash at the Emirates, United were passive and reactive rather than authoritative and proactive.
“They almost lacked the belief they could go and win the game,” said Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane afterwards. “It looks like they’re almost frightened of it.”
The 0-0 draw was another game which largely bypassed Bruno Fernandes, with the prized Portuguese playmaker failing to register a goal or assist for the fifth Premier League game in a row. Marcus Rashford was also equally ineffective in a right wing position that quite clearly is not to his liking, and Solskjaer acknowledged that the in-form Paul Pogba wasn’t involved as much as had been planned.
Mikel Arteta would have been content that defensive midfielder Fred and full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw were United’s best three players at the Emirates, rather than any of their game-changing attackers at the top end of the pitch.
Arsenal’s central block of Rob Holding and David Luiz in defence and Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka in midfield, all stuck to their jobs diligently, absorbing United’s attempts at pressure building in central areas. And Luiz and Xhaka took it upon themselves to also provide assistance to the out-of-position Cedric Soares standing in at left back after he had been identified as a possible weak link.
As much as United were underwhelming and fortunate to see Alexandre Lacazette’s pinpoint free-kick rattle the crossbar, the entire complexion of the result would have been different had Edinson Cavani snaffled one of the two gilt-edged chances that fell his way during the second half.
Nicknamed “El Matador” during his time in Naples on account of being a “killer” in the penalty area, Cavani has always had a tendency to veer from ruthless to wasteful when located within the confines of a six-yard-box. What sets Cavani apart from other strikers is that he continues to sniff out goals even when they aren’t flowing freely.
The Uruguayan skewed a side-footed volley wide – via the merest of touches from Bernd Leno’s glove – when faced with an open goal and then hooked an acrobatic volley inches past the post in the final minute. The second attempt was far trickier to execute but having taken the opportunity off the toes of the onrushing Anthony Martial, he had to bury it.
On account of Cavani’s misses and a moment of indecision from Rashford, United should have won the game, but that doesn’t mean to say that they deserved to. Besides the Lacazette free-kick, Arsenal had good chances of their own with Wan-Bissaka blocking from Willian, Maguire doing likewise from Nicolas Pepe and David De Gea springing to his left to deny Emile Smith Rowe. A draw was a fair outcome.
When a 1-0 win over Burnley a few weeks ago lifted United to the top of the table for the first time in eight years after New Year’s Day, it looked a generous position. As good as Solskjaer’s side have been on the road – Saturday’s result was their 18th consecutive away league game without defeat, setting a new club-record – Premier League champions rarely lose four games at home by the midway point of a campaign.
With City in imperious form and Liverpool showing shoots of recovery in beating Spurs, Solskjaer may come to rue United’s January blues.
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