Manchester United’s wait for back-to-back Premier League wins this season goes on after Declan Rice’s fine second-half strike earned Arsenal a point at a raucous Old Trafford.
This game lacked the quality that was once associated with this fixture, with Bruno Fernandes’ goal shortly before half-time — a precise free kick from 25 yards — the outstanding moment in a poor first half.
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Arsenal improved after the break and levelled with Rice’s powerful long-range effort, their first goal in 257 minutes of Premier League action.
And despite that shortage of quality, the closing stages had plenty of drama as both sides pushed for a win, Fernandes coming closest in the dying seconds.
In the end, a draw was probably a fair result and means Arsenal are now 15 points behind leaders Liverpool with a game in hand. United are 14th.
Laurie Whitwell, Jordan Campbell and Conor O’Neill analyse the key talking points.
Fernandes delivers again — but did he get a helping hand?
Despite suffering one of their worst seasons in Premier League history, United can at least rely on Fernandes for moments of magic.
The adulation in the stadium after he scored the opening goal was enormous, with fans sensing this was the moment to show sustained appreciation. The Portuguese responded in kind, saluting those in the stands. His numbers are good considering the state of the team, this being his 14th goal contribution in the campaign (seven goals, seven assists). Only 12 players have more across the division. It was his second goal direct from a free kick in three Premier League games, after his strike at Goodison Park rescued a point.
Where would Manchester United be without Fernandes?
Up to that point, United had not looked like scoring at all, with Alejandro Garnacho having their only other shot, which was so wayward it turned into a pass to Joshua Zirkzee.
Garnacho effectively set up Fernandes though, drawing the foul from Leandro Trossard on a break.
Although it was a great strike, the ball was a couple of yards inside the post and it called into question David Raya’s positioning.
Despite scampering quickly across his line, Raya got nowhere near it. It looked like his starting position, which was extremely near the right post despite the free kick being relatively central, meant he had too much distance to make up.
But part of the reason Fernandes was able to put such pace on the shot was that the Arsenal wall appeared to be too far back.
Sky Sports showed a replay of referee Anthony Taylor marking out the yards and spraying the line, but it’s technology estimated the wall was 11.2 yards away from the ball rather than 10, although no Arsenal players contested it, which may be a regret.
Fernandes almost had his second magic moment when he must have thought he had a stoppage-time winner that would have taken the roof off Old Trafford. Noussair Mazraoui pulled the ball back across the box and, arriving fast, Fernandes hit it hard — but Raya was able to block with his legs and then had the alertness and athleticism to spring up and claw the ball away as it spun towards the line.
Laurie Whitwell and Jordan Campbell
What did this tell us about Arsenal’s attacking issues?
The danger of scoring seven goals in midweek against PSV was that it enticed you to believe Arsenal had perhaps found a solution to their creative problems.
But this performance at Old Trafford felt like confirmation that while Arsenal are missing their key forwards, needing two goals to win a Premier League game is going to be a tough ask.
PSV are a team who wanted to play Arsenal at their own game. In doing so they gave them the freedom of Eindhoven. In England, Arsenal rarely meet teams willing to engage in such gun-slinging.
Manchester United certainly were not. Ruben Amorim was happy for his team to sit deep and soak up pressure in the hope of countering on Arsenal. The previous two league games against West Ham United and Nottingham Forest were almost identical as far as the final third is concerned.
Arsenal played really well in spells but the lack of penetration once they reach the penalty box and are faced with a packed defence is not a new story. Martin Odegaard’s scooped passes looked to be the main idea but they are difficult moves to execute.
Arsenal should be seizing on counter-attacking opportunities with the extra space it affords them but they were missing the pace and cutting edge you would expect.
It was no surprise in the end that their goal came from a shot at the edge of the box from Rice.
Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli, whose return is a major boost, added direct running to the side. the Scot’s disguised cross to Trossard was Arsenal’s best chance to win the game but they never built momentum after the equaliser.
Jordan Campbell
Did Amorim’s setup help or hinder United?
Amorim wants United to take control of matches, but in reality they remain a side most dangerous on the counter-attack.
Fernandes’ free kick merely papered over the deep systemic cracks of a listless first-half performance, with the team offering next to nothing in possession.
Amorim’s side continue to struggle against high-pressing opponents, with many of the same issues evident in last month’s 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
With Christian Eriksen and Casemiro on the pitch — neither exactly known for their mobility — United were always at risk of being overrun. That challenge was only heightened by Amorim’s tactical system, which consistently left them outnumbered in midfield during build-up play.
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The use of three centre-backs invites high-pressing teams like Arsenal to push up and overload the midfield, leaving United with few options beyond a long, hopeful clearance. An isolated and exasperated Zirkzee cut a lonely figure as William Saliba and Gabriel comfortably dominated him in aerial duels. Around 15 per cent of United’s passes in the first half were long, with fewer than 30 per cent finding their target.
Perhaps wisely, given the physical mismatch, United rarely attempted a high press. But even when they did, their structure left them exposed. When they pressed Raya, Arsenal played around it with ease, exploiting the vacated space in transition.
United perked up after the goal, offering more threat in general play, with Mazraoui unlucky to see his volleyed effort denied by Raya’s outstretched foot. But their lead owed more to Arsenal’s sluggish attacking display than any real attacking resurgence. After the equaliser, they had some more dangerous moments, with Rice’s brilliant challenge denying substitute Rasmus Hojlund a clear opportunity in the box.
Amorim’s system demands dynamic midfielders who can provide passing options despite being outnumbered — a profile United simply do not have. Until that changes, counter-attacks will remain United’s most reliable route to goal.
Conor O’Neill
How significant were United fans’ protests?
Thousands of protesters made their feelings clear about the state of United by marching from the Tollgate pub to the Munich Tunnel at Old Trafford, chanting songs and holding banners against the club’s ownership.
Organised by supporters’ group The 1958, fans were asked to wear black to signify how the club is “slowly dying” under the Glazers’ majority rule. Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is the largest individual shareholder, was also targeted.
One sign read: “£1billion stolen, Glazers out”. It was revealed in the latest financial accounts that United have passed the £1bn ($1.3bn) mark for cumulative net interest on the debt placed on the club by the Glazers’ leveraged buyout in 2005. United are also indebted more than £1bn through the gross debt, revolving credit facility, and transfer money owed.
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United have made losses for the past five years, with Ratcliffe aiming to take drastic measures to stem the tide by making up to 450 staff redundant. Fans are also waiting to hear the ticket prices for next season, with fears that rises are in the works. Manchester United Supporters’ Trust has campaigned against increases, while the Fan Advisory Board had a face-to-face meeting with Ratcliffe to address concerns.
The march before the Arsenal game was a visceral expression of the anger that is bubbling among the fanbase over the running of the club, with the major operating losses incurred through poor recruitment.
It is estimated at least 5,000 people protested, making it the largest such gathering since United faced Liverpool in August 2022. The songs against the Glazers continued in the ground, including after Fernandes opened the scoring.
Ratcliffe was in the directors’ box to hear the chants and, unusually, Ed Glazer, one of the lesser-known siblings, also attended the match, having dined at Manchester’s Ivy restaurant on Saturday night.
Laurie Whitwell
What next for Manchester United?
Thursday, March 13: Real Sociedad (home), Europa League last-16 second leg, 8pm UK, 4pm ET
What next for Arsenal?
Wednesday, March 12: PSV (home), Champions League last-16 second leg, 8pm UK, 4pm ET
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(Top photo: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
