Winning start hits the buffers at Old Trafford in spite of visitors’ domination of the ball

Manchester United 3 Arsenal 1 
Premier League 
Sunday 4th September 2022 4.30pm   

Mikel Arteta went for a win at Old Trafford, but an Achilles’ Heel of his Arsenal side – being caught out high up the pitch when possession is lost – came back to haunt him as his team, in spite of his players getting into United’s box with a healthy regularity. Unfortunately, they were only able to deliver a goal once, not including Martinelli’s effort, subsequently chalked off by VAR.

It was very much a game they could have won, based on their performance, but the wheels came off in the second half when United went ahead 2-1, Arteta gambled with three attacking subs, and their hosts capitalized. Marcus Rashford, the man behind giving innumerable school meals during lockdown, handed a lesson to Arsenal as he finished his chances with efficiency, adding to his assist for their opener. 

A great start to the season now awaits a response to a setback – something Arsenal haven’t excelled at in recent times. We’ll know soon enough if the 2022-23 Gunners are a different breed, and maybe a visit to Zurich might be the best thing for them. Arsenal's next two league games are Everton (home), Brentford (away) before October sees them face Spurs, Liverpool and Man City in the space of three weeks. Arteta almost certainly needs to take six points from the next two Premier League fixtures to ensure the momentum of his team’s start does not fade as quickly as the August sunshine. They may still be top of the table, but being in the top four at the business end of the season is what is required if the patience with Arteta is to be vindicated, unless of course he manages to win the Europa League as the alternative route to dining once more at UEFA’s top table. 

Arsenal had an extra day off after United played on Thursday evening, and perhaps that assisted in the availability of the in doubt Zinchenko, Ramsdale and Odegaard. United had spent big on Eric ten Haag’s Brazilian talent at Ajax, Antony and the young winger started for them. 

United had the best of the opening exchanges, but Arsenal grew into the game, and thought they had gone ahead in the 12th minute, when Martinelli found the net. VAR determined a challenge on Erikssen by Odegaard was a foul, and such challenges are a grey area, depending on how much refs are going to defend a weaker player muscled off the ball. Paul Tierney looked long and hard at the replays, and eventually concurred with Lee Mason at Stockley Park. It was a reminder that in football now, you might as well not bother celebrating a goal until the referee blows the whistle for the restart, by which time the moment has really gone. Is there a reason that every single goal has to be checked by VAR? I’m not certain it happens in other leagues. 

Arsenal missed Thomas Partey’s presence in midfield, although it could have been far worse, as the ref missed a very poor Lokonga challenge on United captain Bruno Fernandes, the youngster showing his inexperience. We’ve seen red cards issued for those. After 34 minutes, the visitors were undone by an Eriksen pass that split them open. Fernandes took it forward and critically, Gabriel failed to take him out with a blocking foul. The ball found its way to Rashford, who teed up Antony to score. Ramsdale seemed to gamble on the effort being at his near post, and it went in the other corner. In spite of Arsenal’s dominance, they ended the half a goal down. 

They started the second half on the front foot and got their just reward on the hour, after Odegaard had played a pass towards Jesus, who was dispossessed. The ball fell to Bukayo Saka and he converted to level the scores. The problem for Arsenal was that the game was very open, and in Eriksen and Fernandes, United had two players who could hurt you, given the opportunity. And so it was when Arsenal lost the ball in the United half after 65 minutes. Marcis Rashford broke the offside trap to leave him with a clear run on goal. Ben White made a valiant attempt to get across and block his shot, but it deflected off his leg and over Ramsdale. 

Arteta prepared three subs and after 73 minutes, he sacrificed a defender (Zinchenko) as well as removing Odegaard and Lokonga, with three attacking players – Nketiah, Smith Rowe and debutant Vieira – coming on. Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise when a moment later, Eriksen broke into an ocean of space in Arsenal’s half and played the ball to Rashford to seal the game. Arsenal’s back line was so high it was suicidal - just inside their own half. It was too easy for the opposition to break it.

Dominance of possession is all well and good, but you have to do the right things when you don’t have it. Arsenal were careless and ended up getting nothing from a game they should have won. It was a salient reminder that Arteta is still learning, and hopefully there will be lessons learned from the nature of United’s goals – all on the counter attack. The formation fell to pieces after the three subs came on, and you felt that Arteta had decided the final result was either going to be a glorious comeback or a heavy defeat. As it was United almost scored a fourth through sub Ronaldo. 

Ten Haag’s players may not have enjoyed too much of the ball, but they played in a similar fashion against Liverpool and achieved another good result. For all the touches in the opposition box, Arsenal had less attempts on target, and the only stat that actually matters at the end of the match is goals. United defended better than their opponents, and it really did feel like ‘all or nothing’ was the prevailing approach in this game for Arteta. Perhaps better finishing when excellent chances fell to Saliba and Odegaard might have seen a different outcome. Both failed to find the target with time and space for shots inside the box.

Sadly, Arsenal were pulled apart by the passing of Eriksen and Fernandes. They used space offered to them intelligently and made incisive passes. Better players will exploit weaknesses when teams are out of position, and it’s an area of the game that needs to be addressed on the training pitch if the Gunners are going to catch up with the big boys.

This always looked like a moment of truth fixture for Arsenal when the schedules were released. They had a relatively easy start to the season and credit to Arteta and his players for taking maximum points from their opening five matches. It’s the reason that, in spite of this reverse, they remain at the top of the table. Now to get straight back to winning ways, with no delay. A very changed line-up will start on Thursday in Zurich, before Everton visit the Emirates next Sunday. Now the games come thick and fast, let’s hope there is no time for the kind of hangovers we witnessed after a reverse last season.

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