On the night of May 12, MU lost 0-1 to Arsenal at home, thereby receiving 82 goals in an English National Championship season for the first time since 1971.
MU cannot create a surprise against Arsenal.
MU cannot create a surprise against Arsenal.
After a period of hard work, Bruno Fernandes was injured and missed 2 consecutive matches. Replacing the Portuguese midfielder playing in the attacking position and wearing the captain’s armband is Scott McTominay.
In defense, Lisandro Martinez has returned to practice but coach Ten Hag has not yet risked letting him play. The “Red Devils” center back pair continues to be Casemiro and Evans, two names that were severely criticized in the 0-4 loss to Crystal Palace.
In the opposite direction, coach Mikel Arteta has the best options at hand. “Gunners” aim for victory to hold on to hope in the championship race.
Right from the first minutes, Arsenal pressed the host. In the 4th minute, the away team had the first shot. However, Bukayo Saka’s efforts could not cause difficulties for Andrea Onana. Just 1 minute later, MU had a chance after losing the ball by Thomas Partey. Rasmus Hojlund shot decisively with his left foot, but he missed the post.
In the 7th minute, Amad and Garnacho stirred up Arsenal’s defense with dribbles and earned a corner. However, Arsenal’s defense played focused to preserve the net.
After 15 minutes, MU finished 4 times, twice as many as Arsenal, but it was ineffective. Anyway, this was a pretty successful start for the Old Trafford club, at a time when they were devastated by an “injury storm”.
At a time when the game was balanced, MU suddenly conceded a goal. In the 21st minute, Casemiro did not have time to advance, causing MU’s offside trap to not be effective. Kai Havertz comfortably escaped down the right wing and then crossed for Leandro Trossard to cushion the ball from close range, putting the away team ahead.
Casemiro moved up too slowly, while MU’s defense was all up.
Casemiro moved up too slowly, while MU’s defense was all up.
When the midfield cannot hold the ball, MU relies on the individual efforts of the wingers. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo played hard but could not make a difference against the strongest defense in the Premier League this season. Inside, Rasmus Hojlund also “disappeared”, constantly receiving the ball in the circle of 2 or 3 away team defenders.
After more than 10 minutes of the second half, Arsenal still played solidly. The representative of London gives priority to the defensive front, instead of raising the attack. In the rare time the away team’s defenders left space in the 60th minute, Garnacho kicked straight into the advertising sign.
In the 70th minute, MU had the first shot on target, after Casemiro handled it from a long distance. The ball went quite wide but not dangerous enough to cause problems for David Raya.
About the last 20 minutes, when Antony entered the field, MU began to play with more determination. However, the home team’s attacks were almost harmless in front of Raya’s goal.
In the 78th minute, Arsenal had the first chance in the second half. Marinelli took a strong shot from inside the penalty area, forcing Andre Onana to fly as far as he could to block it. Not stopping there, the Cameroonian star also continuously saved MU from two consecutive defensive situations from Arsenal in the 83rd minute.
The match ended with a gentle victory for Arsenal. MU took 14 shots but never made it difficult for Raya. “Gunners” temporarily rose to the top with 86 points, 1 point more than Man City. In the middle of next week, Pep Guardiola and his team will play a make-up match against Tottenham.