If you run the clock back a few years, a game against Arsenal at Old Trafford to lead into the penultimate matchday of the league season would have been built up as a blockbuster – a game that could swing a title in either direction, a game to ogle at the quality of football on display; a potential classic.
Or, at the very least… a game to remember.
But, like many other games this season, this was one to forget as United slipped to defeat in predictably meek fashion, surrendering the lead relatively early and never really looking like getting back in it.
The loss leaves United in eighth place on 54 points; still a win and a draw short of our current worst points haul in Premier League history, which is 58 from the 2021/22 campaign. If we ship another two goals, we will also break the record for the highest number of goals conceded in a modern league season – another low from that abysmal Solskjær-Rangnick debacle.
Men against boys
Although the scoreline reflects a closely fought encounter, the truth is Arsenal did not make it out of second gear and looked at ease throughout the game, withstanding a few flurries from the front three.
The telling part of the game came in the 21st minute when the ball broke down rather innocuously on the left-hand side of the pitch, allowing Ben White to play Kai Havertz into a seemingly offside position.
And it would have been too, if not for a sleepwalking Casemiro ambling out of defence.
The Brazilian’s lackadaisical-ness allowed the German to latch onto the ball, drive into the box toward an isolated Jonny Evans, and make space for a ball across the face of goal, where he found an unmarked Leandro Trossard to tap in what would be the winner.
While that Trossard goal would have seen Anne Hathaway celebrating somewhere, it looked like it was the Red Devils who were wearing Prada for most of the game; slipping and sliding as they failed to find a firm grip on proceedings.
Despite the Stretford End’s best efforts to galvanise the team with long Spirit in the Sky chants, it became clear that it was only divine intervention could have made the difference against Arsenal’s superiority all over the pitch.
There were some bright sparks, especially from Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo, but nothing ever looked like it was going to trouble Arsenal’s imperious backline.
Defiance under pressure or a broken record?
The Manchester rain that adorned the tail-end of the game was not the only storm brewing at Old Trafford, and in the face of ever-mounting pressure, Erik ten Hag once again highlighted United’s injury-stricken squad.
“The fans understand where they are. If we have so many injuries, especially in key areas, you don’t get what you deserve.
“The fans are behind us, that’s why they are with us. We are United. We have [a] strong bond and hopefully we can pay them back in the future.
“[Continuing} We have problems, the problems cost us results. But I don’t know where we should be when we have all the players on board.
“If you have the players on board, you get more points. Especially in the backline, we concede a lot of chances and a lot of goals. Last season, we had the most clean sheets in the Premier League.”
Erik ten Hag after the game to Sky Sports
Player ratings & MOTM
Onana – 6. Not much he could have done about the goal and a few decent saves, along with some expansive passes, keeps the Cameroonian keeper’s rating honest.
Wan-Bissaka – 3. Perhaps a touch harsh but losing your man for the decisive goal cannot reflect well in match ratings. As toothless as everyone else going forward and was not at his best one versus one either.
Casemiro – 2. His overall game was actually not that bad but something as schoolboy and lazy as his mistake for Arsenal’s winner cannot go unnoticed. A player of his caliber should be driving this team forward, but – both literally and metaphorically – he is nothing but a laggard at the moment.
Evans – 4. A strange game in parts for both centre-halves as they did not have much to mark with Havertz drifting into midfield to influence the game but the 36-year-old looked out of place in a team out of sorts.
Dalot – 6. Some threatening breaks forward showing promise and partially taming a dangerous Bukayo Saka helps this rating. Nothing special though.
Mainoo – 5. Some good touches and, as we have become accustomed to, the young starlet looked United’s most composed player on the ball – could not make the difference, however.
Amrabat – 6. He probably has not done enough to warrant triggering his buy option but he does offer something that a lot of our midfielders do not, which is a general technical competency on the ball. Tidy and tenacious in the first half, but leggy in the second.
Amad – 6.5 & MOTM. It is games like this where you wonder why he has not started more – while not outright deadly, his play in and around Arsenal’s area looked the most likely route to goal.
McTominay – 4. United fans know we do not play Scott to control the game, but rather impact it in the final third, which he nearly did when he won the ball back to set up a Höjlund chance, but other than that, a non-event.
Garnacho – 6.5. Frustrating at times, but his work rate and directness gave us some hopeful moments in an otherwise hopeless afternoon.
Höjlund – 4. The Dane definitely did not get the service, as he has not all season, but at some point you have to play yourself into the game. He was up against the Premier League’s fiercest defence, but he could have done more.
Subs:
Antony (on for Amad on 70′) – 5. Came on late, was not expecting much, did not deliver much.
Kambwala (on for Evans on 75′) – 5. Most of the play was going the other way by now as Arsenal looked to defend what they had, but could have been more decisive at times.
Eriksen (on for Amrabat on the 87‘) – N/A
Forson (on for Wan-Bissaka on 87′) – N/A
Wheatley (on for Höjlund on 88′) – N/A
Closing out the season
A last outing at Old Trafford against Newcastle and a trip to Brighton are what is left of the Premier League season before the FA Cup Final against City.
I suppose we still have a place in Europe to play for, but given we are now on a run of one win in seven league games and the need to win has been apparent for a while, is it worth even entertaining the idea that we might leapfrog Chelsea and Newcastle?
The success (if I dare even use that word) of this campaign will be decided by the last game of the season. But with City’s metronomic streak kicking in, I do not really see how we have much of a chance – even if we were not absolutely woeful.
Stranger things have happened; but not many. Only time will tell, but regardless of what happens at the end of May, Erik ten Hag is running out of time to turn things around at Old Trafford.