THE VERDICT: UNITED 2 ARSENAL 2 Mourinho’s attack dogs lack enough bite for win
Dropped a clanger by letting Mustafi’s header through his hands. Saved magnificently from Aubameyang twice. Vulnerable against Kolasinac on a taxing full Premier League debut. Executed last-minute interceptions. A steady presence in the back three after he missed the Southampton trip with a foot injury. Hesitant on first appearance in almost two months. Once he stopped trying to bring the ball out of defence he excelled. Was on free-kick duties. It led to Anthony Martial’s equaliser. Got the crowd going but gifted Alexandre Lacazette a goal. Another accomplished performance at wing-back. Covered well and used his experience. His deep-lying positioning was understandable and he restricted space as Herrera supplemented the attack. Pressed aggressively and his alert pull-back allowed Martial to level the scores after Arsenal’s opener. Threatening off the ball and United are a better attacking side with his urgency through the middle. Equalised. Endeavoured to make things happen but was constantly outnumbered by Arsenal’s vigilant defenders. He pounced to score his eighth goal of the campaign and make it 1-1 so soon after Arsenal led. SUBSTITUTES ROMELU LUKAKU: (Martial, 63) Did little. 5 MAROUANE FELLAINI: (Rojo, 72) Barely made a difference. 4 PAUL POGBA: (Lingard, 75) Didn’t influence. 5 NOT USED: Mata, Romero, Valencia, McTominay AFTER Jose Mourinho lamented a lack of mad dogs, he released the hounds. United’s players were feral against Arsenal in a madcap and unpredictable evening that encapsulated this maddening Mourinho side.
It was a tale of mad dogs and an Englishman, that Englishman being Jesse Lingard, who sped at the pace of a greyhound to equalise and spare Mourinho another crisis summit. Alas, it was another draw for United - their third in succession - and while the stadium reverberated to an optimistic chorus of ‘Attack, attack, attack,’ the positives do not necessarily outweigh the negatives.
Towards the finale, Arsenal had a goal disallowed for offside and Mourinho was pointing at his temples as his players foraged for a winner. The Reds manager preached calm while some fans booed the cautiousness.
Draws are feeling like defeats and United should have lost this one.
Mourinho lamented other teams have got better whereas the Reds haven’t and it’s how galling that Arsenal are a legitimately superior side within four months of the competitive campaign.
Mourinho can seek excuses, but he has to be held partly accountable.
Sir Alex Ferguson earned the nickname ‘Tinkerbell’ by the defunct fanzine Red Issue and as United strive to replicate the Scot’s era, Mourinho has provided a worthy heir to Ferguson’s tombola team selection. The seven changes against Arsenal encapsulated the past, present and future at United, where Ferguson signings still make the line-up and the exorbitant acquisitions since he headed upstairs do not. Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba, players who commanded £164.9m in initial fees, were relegated to the bench for a second successive midweek match while Fred, the club’s fourth-most expensive signing, was in the stands. “Lukaku not being in the team is no bad thing,” opined one United legend. What a damning indictment that is of the starry strategy Ed Woodward has embraced these last five years. If the £52m midfielder Fred is not worthy of a squad berth then why should the Glazers sanction funds for January? At least Diogo Dalot started. It was Dalot’s debut in the league, Eric Bailly’s first appearance in almost two months, Marcos Rojo’s first since May and Matteo Darmian’s third of the campaign, yet the aforementioned quartet produced gutsy and commendable performances. They still play Herman’s Hermits at Old Trafford, but the supporters are not currently into something good. Shkodran Mustafi’s 26th-minute header seemed routine for David de Gea but the sodden Martial (30), Lingard (69) Mustafi (26), Lacazette (68) 45% 55% 17 15 4 4 Lingard Mustafi, Bellerin, Torreira Andre Marriner 74,507 Rojo, Matic, ball slipped through his grasp and over the line.
‘Jose Mourinho, we want you to stay,’ Arsenal fans decided.
United supporters responded by serenading Robin van Persie, and Anderson before goading Patrick Vieira’s 1999 FA Cup semi-final assist for Ryan Giggs. They used to implore Arsene Wenger to stay.
Tyson Fury earned a round of applause as he belatedly took his seat in the directors’ box. Like the Mancunian, United got back off the canvas. As Rojo approached a 30th-minute free-kick, Reds’ supporters in J Stand opted for gallows humour: “If Rojo scores, we’re on the pitch.” He didn’t, but Anthony Martial did after the offside Ander Herrera latched onto Bernd Leno’s parry. Mourinho was unmoved in his seat.
Rojo then recklessly flew into Matteo Guendouzi and the atmosphere crackled