The race for the Premier League title will enter its 38th round after Arsenal took advantage of a weakened Manchester United team at Old Trafford and won without playing well. As you can see, it’s the mark of a champion.
Manchester United needed to bounce back after Monday’s humiliating defeat to Crystal Palace, while Arsenal were hoping for nothing more than a win against a tongue-licking eleven during the warm-up.
Unsurprisingly, Erik ten Hag wanted more solidity in the center of the pitch, leaving Christian Eriksen on the bench and a fully defensive player sitting in front of an unconvincing centre-back partnership of Jonny Evans and Casemiro. He left midfielder Sofian Amrabat. Imagine reading that sentence two years ago. In front of Amrabat were United captain Scott McTominay and Coby Mainu. This combination brought more guts, discipline and far more legs than Eriksen and off-the-pace Mason Mount could provide.
Looking at the starting lineup before kick-off, I had a feeling that United would be beaten, but it was a far cry from the first half. It wasn’t quite as convincing as Ten Hag would have liked, but it was clear off the ball that the Red Devils were clearly having a very long afternoon, even if the opening four minutes gave the impression that the Red Devils were in for a very long afternoon. There was a big difference.
However, the opening goal was horribly bad from Manchester United’s point of view, and Casemiro once again faced some well-deserved criticism. Andre Onana did not make a pass to the experienced midfielder after taking a questionable angle on the Cameroonian and when the ball went long, the former Real Madrid superstar asked his team-mate for an autograph. and then “ran” back to its original position, as if someone were crossing the road. driver.
As a result, Kai Havertz was kept onside and, aided by some poor defending from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Leandro Trossard was able to score a simple tap-in, but the Arsenal forward ran six yards into the box. I didn’t miss it.
The next five minutes gave the impression that the floodgates might open, but United eventually responded. Arsenal were unable to win the ball in an excellent five minutes for the hosts, with Thomas Partey and Havertz being the most uncomfortable presence for Mikel, but they showed purpose in possession and did not allow the visitors to settle down and were in good form. Finished the first half. Arteta’s lot.
Amad Diallo replaced Anthony and looked dangerous, but he repeatedly rolled Takehiro Tomiyasu and showed more purpose than we’ve ever seen from the £85m Brazilian, while Diogo Dalot He dealt well with Bukayo Saka.
United started the second goal just as they had ended the first, with an erratic touch from Partey followed by an embarrassing slip in an attempt to launch the ball onto the park, giving Ten Hag’s team any hope. Gave. In the first half it felt like this was a game for Jorginho, not Partey, and moments like this will only strengthen that feeling.
Whether it’s Amrabat, Casemiro or Amad, United look to trap Arsenal’s full-backs in isolated positions, capitalizing on a number of cross-field passes and the Gunners’ ability to quickly set the tone. They didn’t allow the Devils to take the lead. The benefits of Amado and Alejandro Garnacho allow Tomiyasu and Benjamin White to make money.
United were the better team from the 30th to the 75th minute, instead of Amrabat and Casemiro getting tired and forcing Arsenal to take back the initiative. No one expected this to happen when both lineups took to the field an hour before kickoff.
The hilariously bad side put up more than a fight, but in the final moments of the game, with thunder rolling, Ten Hag’s men were unable to rain down on Arsenal’s parade.
It was an unconvincing afternoon for Arsenal, but one that showed some promise for Manchester United, who had Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his men in the stands. Even though a win would give Manchester City the chance to clinch the title on Tuesday, this is the game that the home fans, players and Ten Hague have always been waiting for, and the Old Trafford faithful will be excited to see what the big deal is about the match. I spoke with all my might in some parts. Match.
Last season, Ten Hag singled out Arsenal as a team without injured players and frequently mentioned the defeat at the Emirates in September. It’s obvious he doesn’t like them. Maybe he’s never done it. Is this rooted in jealousy? Perhaps he is angry that his assertion that “all eras come to an end” has affected rivals rather than his own team. Honestly, we don’t know. What we do know is that the Dutchman truly believes his team was robbed of a goal and a penalty in a come-from-behind game. In case this is somehow still being discussed, they weren’t. on both accounts.
Learn more about Man UTD and Arsenal from F365
👉 Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal: Trossard goal vs depleted Red Devils keep Gunners in title contention
👉 Arsenal – Manchester United combined best eleven: Includes this season’s Premier League signings.Onana from Raya
👉 Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the founding principal of Manchester United’s division before he wakes up.
Sunday used to be his cup final. of After the league match, the FA Cup final was played against City, led by Josep Guardiola.
He may not have engineered the victory, but it was a performance to be proud of given the circumstances. Injuries have taken their toll this season, and the absence of even one starter seems to have had a negative impact on the Ten Hag team’s play, with players such as Marcus Rashford, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw and Bruno missing. -Fernandes deserves praise for playing so well without Harry Maguire, to name a few.
Of course, this all depends on the result, and another defeat leaves Man United in a very difficult position as they prepare to face Newcastle United at home and away to Brighton on the final day of the season in midweek. It turns out.
It is now certain that the Premier League winner will not know who will be on the final day. When was the last time Arsenal were out of title contention before Round 38? 20 years ago when the Invincibles won the title on Round 34.
📣 Leave a comment! Am I praising Manchester United too much? Join the discussion here.
Last season we fell apart in the run-in, but that hasn’t happened this time, and it’s clear that we’re learning from our mistakes, but we’ve never been in a situation like this before. It will be interesting to see how that pressure gets on them next Sunday at home to Everton. This is uncharted territory for Arteta’s young team.
The real final day is on Tuesday, when Manchester City face Arsenal’s biggest and fiercest rivals, Tottenham. If City can overcome that challenge on a ground where they have never won, let alone scored, in the Premier League, there will be an air of inevitability next Sunday. Guardiola’s side may try as hard as they have in the past, but they cannot afford to drop a point at home to West Ham. Will this be David Moyes’ last game?
Even if they don’t win the Premier League title, Arsenal are still here and are the team ready to pounce when Guardiola finally isolates us. Manchester United, on the other hand, showed some promise in the end, although they failed to create proper chances, but it wasn’t enough against a team that performed like the hallmarks of a champion. Promises are good, but promises alone won’t save Ten Hag. Ten Hag ended up losing in the individual cup final against a team that was hoping for an over.
Read more: Arsenal news | Manchester United news | Bespoke Premier League table