United show spirit to redeem errors on chaotic night
There was fight. Plenty of fight. Jose Mourinho had called for “mad dogs” after the costly draw against Southampton and he got that in a barking-mad match as Manchester United slugged it out to nevertheless once again end up with just a point, this time against Arsenal.
With Tyson Fury, a United fan, in the stands, this was another crazy, chaotic contest. The boxer does not like draws. But he may have enjoyed this one. Paul Pogba was also an observer for much of this pugilistic encounter and, although he came on as a late substitute, it was feverish enough without the so-called “virus” who Mourinho had singled out for criticism.
A draw, for once, is something for United to cling onto and, while Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 20 matches in all competitions, they will come away feeling they should have done so with a first win here since 2006.
They were the better team, whatever Mourinho claimed, and created the better chances. If David de Gea was horribly at fault for Arsenal’s first goal, he was, by the end, standing between the visitors and victory with some fine saves.
It really was bonkers. Mourinho said United scored four goals and, effectively, they did. De Gea pushed Shkodran Mustafi’s header up in the air, the ball looping over him and into his own goal for the first. Then the second came as Marcos Rojo lunged in to try to stop substitute Alexandre Lacazette, only to divert the ball past De Gea.
Maybe Rojo, making his first appearance of the season, should not have been on the pitch at that point. He was fortunate to escape with a yellow card in the first half for a reckless lunge aimed at Aaron Ramsey, in which he caught Matteo Guendouzi as he tried to win the ball back inside the Arsenal penalty area after his shot was blocked.
That was one of five cautions issued by referee Andre Marriner in a furious five-minute spell and, overall, five minutes was all that Arsenal held the lead for, even though they were in front on two occasions. They were ahead for just 13 seconds after scoring their second goal.
Arsenal also suffered injuries to Aaron Ramsey and, more seriously, Rob Holding. United lost Anthony Martial. It was a bruising, uncompromising encounter. This was the first meeting between these two sides in 32 years, and 82 games, without either Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger in the dugout and it developed into something of a homage to their rivalry at its height – without quite the stellar quality.
But there was undeniably “spirit, effort, intensity”, according to Mourinho – three things sorely lacking of late even if, again, United did not win and did not really look like winning. They have now gone four league matches without gaining maximum points and are eight points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. If Chelsea had not lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers, the deficit would have been double digits and, with that, United’s hopes may well have disappeared.
That “mad-dog” spirit was shown by Arsenal in their north London derby win at the weekend but they again made a curiously low-key start here. The game exploded into life midway through the half as Mustafi met a Lucas Torreira corner, his header bouncing up off the turf. De Gea’s reaction was weak and although Ander Herrera hooked the ball away, it had – confirmed by goal-line technology – already crossed the line.
United struck back. Rojo’s freekick was pushed away by goalkeeper Bernd Leno, only for Herrera to scamper across and turn the ball back in front of the goal before it could run out of play. Holding did not cut it out and Martial steered it over Torreira on the line. Replays showed that Herrera was offside – having broken from the wall. But the goal stood.
Martial formed part of a quick, energetic attacking triumvirate along with Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard and it certainly gave United more impetus and urgency among a raft of changes. Diogo Dalot, 19, was making his first league start and was later labelled by Mourinho as United’s right-back for the next 10 years.
Arsenal also made changes, with Granit Xhaka suspended and Ramsey taking the armband, although he had to leave at half-time to add to Unai Emery’s frustration that his side were once again unable to go in at the interval in front. They have not done so once in the league this season and were under pressure after the restart as United sensed they could gain the precious win.
Not that they created any chances. Instead, they eventually gifted the lead again to Arsenal. Rojo lost the ball to Alexandre Lacazette, who strode forward and exchanged passes with another replacement, Henrikh Mkhitaryan. As Lacazette pulled his foot back to shoot, Rojo challenged and the ball trickled beyond De Gea.
There was not enough time to fully digest what had happened as United launched the ball forward. Arsenal panicked and Sead Kolasinac inadvertently teed up the onrushing Lingard, who clipped it past Leno.
It was breathless but, for all of Mourinho’s protestations that United finished the strongest, they simply did not.
Four chances came. All for Arsenal. De Gea saved superbly with an outstretched boot to divert away Pierre-emerick Aubameyang’s close-range shot – the first of the striker’s last 11 efforts on target not to end up in the net – before Mkhitaryan stole in to stab a shot just over the bar when he had to score.
Then De Gea darted out an arm to turn away another Aubameyang effort before he denied Torreira to seal his fightback.
Manchester United (3-4-3) De Gea; Bailly, Smalling, Rojo (Fellaini 73); Dalot, Herrera, Matic, Darmian; Lingard (Pogba 75), Rashford, Martial (Lukaku 63). Subs Romero (g), Mata, Valencia, Mctominay.
Booked Rojo, Matic, Lingard.
Arsenal (3-4-3) Leno; Mustafi, Sokratis, Holding (Lichtsteiner 36); Bellerin, Torreira, Guendouzi, Kolasinac, Ramsey (Mkhitaryan 46), Aubameyang, Iwobi (Lacazette 65). Subs Cech (g), Elneny, Maitland-niles, Nketiah. Booked Mustafi, Bellerin, Torreira.
Referee Andre Marriner (West Midlands).