BRITAIN’S BEST COLUMNIST FROM OLD TRAFFORD

is three home draws on the spin and 19 points after 12 matches.

And while Mourinho can brandish the statistic that Arsenal had just that Olivier Giroud thumping header as their only accurate attempt, here’s one he might not want to wave around.

It has been 12 seasons since United had fewer points after a dozen games.

In 2004-05, they had 18 points at this stage and in the first season of Louis van Gaal’s tenure, they had the same 19 points. Other than that, it’s been in the 20s, once in the 30s.

Last season, they were five points better off.

In his solitary season, David Moyes was two points better off.

And Mourinho spent nigh on £150million before a ball was kicked. “It feels like I have finally lost against Arsene,” was Mourinho’s parting shot, referencing his unbeaten competitive record against Wenger.

In the end he can’t help talking about himself but you know what he meant.

Yet this was a game there for the taking – and his side did not take it. That is the simple fact. It wasn’t misfortune that saw Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain breeze past Marcus Rashford. It wasn’t misfortune that saw Giroud rise with majesty but without company. It was good football, sure. It wasn’t great defending, though.

For such a practical coach, Mourinho is heaping a lot of importance on intangibles. We are going in the right direction, the fans can see that, he says. Things are not going for us, he says. And when his work progresses to a stage when he believes it is very much his property, this United team might be serious title challengers.

Based purely on the quality of what was, to be honest, a contest drastically low on the stuff, you would already have them ahead of Arsenal.

Wenger’s straw to clutch is that his team surely cannot be this mediocre too many more times this season.

Neither of these two will exercise the engravers on this evidence.

It is also clear the Portuguese has a definitive hold over Wenger. Mourinho is right when he suggests he should be afforded a lot more time and patience before being judged too harshly.

There were some good individual performances here. Ander Herrera was excellent, Phil Jones belligerently effective in a Phil Jones type of way, Valencia strong and threatening.

But this expensively-assembled squad should carry more potency.

In only four of these 12 league games have they scored more than once.

That’s not just because they are the ‘unluckiest team in the Premier League’.

They are just not as ruthlessly clinical as a team with this personnel should be.

And – work in progress or not – Mourinho has to take his share of the blame. Do not be fooled.

MATCH REPORT:

PAGES 66 & 67