Mikel Arteta faces familiar issues as Arsenal self-destruct by frustrating Manchester United defeat | Today Headlines
Mikel Arteta faces familiar issues as Arsenal self-destruct by frustrating Manchester United defeat
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Mikel Arteta and his team will have left Old Trafford frustrated and with an idea of what could have been. They ended the game with more possession and more shots on goal but, in the end, they came away with nothing to show.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t get anything out of the game,” said Arteta. “When you concede three at Old Trafford, you’re unlikely to get anything out of it. We are here to win football games. It’s a lesson that [playing like we did tonight] is not enough. We need to do it better.
They are a young Arsenal side and Thursday night was another difficult lesson for them as they continue to grow under Arteta.
Travel to Old Trafford is almost always a daunting affair, but it was a United side in limbo as they waited for Ralf Rangnick, who was sitting in the stands, to take control of the dugout.
United were at times disjointed and felt there for the catch, especially when Arsenal took the lead after 13 minutes in a bizarre fashion. United goalkeeper David de Gea fell after a corner kick in the penalty area and as he lay Emile Smith Rowe stole the ball into the net from outside the area.
This gave the visitors the perfect platform to start, but instead, as has been the case with this team before, it felt like they were playing with the handbrake – and it allowed United to get back into the game.
Arteta dismissed the idea, saying instead that his side were “sloppy in possession” and “didn’t defend our area well enough”, but either way, they got United back into the game and it was an invitation they accepted.
Bruno Fernandes equalized before half-time, then Cristiano Ronaldo struck either side of Martin Odegaard’s quality finish in the second half to ensure United won all three points in Michael Carrick’s last game before the The German Rangnick does not take over as interim until the end of the season.
“We scored the first goal and after that we had full control of the game,” added Arteta. “We started giving very simple balls in very dangerous areas which opened up spaces for them and gave them momentum.
“We scored the second and after that we have to be mature to go and score the third. At that point, we did not handle this situation well enough and we conceded the [third] goal.”
An away win in one of the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’ looks like the next step for this young Arsenal side, who have made great strides since their inception.
The frustration here will be that they had a chance at Old Trafford and the three goals they conceded involved elements of individual error.
Their severity increased with each goal: the first after a bad clearance from Ben White; the second following the loss of the ball by Nuno Tavares and Smith Rowe; while the third came after Odegaard inexplicably knocked Fred down in the penalty area for a penalty.
Individual mistakes, like playing with the handbrake, have been a trend for Arteta’s squad, and it’s something Arsenal must seek to stamp out as they try to progress. As Arteta pointed out, very few teams can come to Old Trafford and walk away with anything if they concede three goals.
There were some bright spots to take away from last night, with Arteta and his players pointing out that it wasn’t the collapse we saw at Anfield.
Gabriel Martinelli was a bright spark, causing issues with his pace and his willingness to run behind. It’s another trend for Arteta’s squad since his appointment, with young players shining, but now seems like a time for senior players to step up.
When Arsenal won at Old Trafford last season, Thomas Partey was at the heart of the performance as he led the midfielder and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game.
Both, however, were nowhere to be found last night, and the balance between senior and younger players feels bad. “Certainly that’s the balance we need, and that balance is right,” Arteta said. “The senior players have to lead and the young players have to follow. “
So far this season, this young Arsenal side have been quick and have already bounced back from setbacks.
They did so in October following a disappointing draw with Crystal Palace passing Aston Villa, while after the loss to Liverpool they again stabilized the ship by beating Newcastle.
Now the challenge for them is to learn from Thursday night’s loss, where they missed an opportunity to claim a big scalp – and break into the Premier League’s top four – to pass them.
The busy Christmas season gives them a chance to make amends – and Arteta will want to make sure last night was a bump in the road, not his deviating side of his path.
News Today Local news Mikel Arteta faces familiar issues as Arsenal self-destruct by frustrating Manchester United defeat
