ANALYSIS WHAT WE LEARNED
■ SANCHO MAKES HIS MARK FROM THE LEFT
FOR 43 minutes Jadon Sancho struggled to get into the game on the left, finding life tricky in a role that doesn’t always bring the best out of him and against the more defensive-minded of Arsenal’s full-backs in Takehiro Tomiyasu.
But the £73m winger is enjoying the best spell of his short United career and even from his less effective wing he was influential in the equaliser.
It was Sancho’s skill down the left and then his ability to find a clever and perfectly-weighted pass to Fred in a dangerous area inside the penalty area that really created the chance.
It was a repeat for United’s third goal as well, Sancho again doing well down the left and then finding a perfect pass inside to the onrushing Fred, who was hauled down by Martin Odegaard. It was a clear penalty.
Against Villarreal and Chelsea, Sancho proved what a threat he is down the right playing as a natural winger, but this was also a statement of his ability to operate on the other side, either cutting inside or producing clever link-up play.
It’s taken some time to get there, but United now have the Sancho they thought they’d signed and his ability on either wing is going to give Ralf Rangnick plenty of options.
■ DALOT’S PERFECT TIMING
IN between the moments when he was pulling his hair out and checking the small print of his contract, Ralf Rangnick might well have been impressed by Diogo Dalot.
Incredibly this was Dalot’s first Premier League start in more than two years but on the evidence of a very solid 90 minutes, he has the quality to give Aaron Wan-Bissaka some serious competition.
The most eye-catching moment was winning the ball back and playing a perfect reverse pass to Marcus Rashford to help create the first goal for Cristiano Ronaldo, but generally, the 22-year-old was good on the ball and defended well.
He was up against the tricky Emile Smith Rowe, who often drifted in from the left, but Dalot dealt with him well and communicated with those inside him if his man did head into a central position.
Wan-Bissaka has had a free run in the right-back position for too long, keeping his place despite some underwhelming performances, this was Dalot taking the rare opportunity he’s been granted and his better quality in the final third might work in his favour under Rangnick.
■ DEFENSIVE DILEMMA
AFTER 14 games of the season only four teams have conceded more than United. From his seat in the stands it would have been clear to Rangnick what really needs fixing.
United have now shipped 24 goals in those 14 fixtures, a tally only Leicester City, Norwich and Newcastle have exceeded. Two of those clubs are the bottom two in the league.
There might have been an element of misfortune in the way they went behind to Arsenal, but the second goal was poor to concede. There was no pressure in midfield, Alex Telles was nowhere near Gabriel Martinelli on the left and he had space to find Odegaard unmarked 12 yards from goal. It was basic stuff. United got away with it last night, but they can’t continue to concede goals at this rate.