Eriksen left frustrated by habit of letting in late goals
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN was frustrated by Manchester United’s latest failure to hold on to three points. Under-fire Erik ten Hag’s bumpy second season at the helm has been beset by injuries and errors, especially as the clock winds down.
Antony looked to have struck a late winner against relegation-threatened Burnley on Saturday, only for substitute Zeki Amdouni’s penalty to seal a 1-1 draw – the 18th goal they have conceded after the 80th minute this term.
“Well, obviously, we had the three points in our hand,” experienced midfielder Eriksen told MUTV. “And going into the last minutes of ordinary time, I think we should be able to keep a clean sheet and then get the three points.”
United blew their chance to maintain their advantage over fellow topsix hopefuls Newcastle, who beat Sheffield United 5-1 just three days after the Red Devils toiled to a 4-2 win against the same side.
Wednesday’s match against the embattled Blades represented Eriksen’s first league start since mid-January.
“Of course, I still think there’s some bits that still could be better today, a few decisions that could have been better and put my team-mate or myself in a better position around the pitch,” the Denmark international said.
“I’m trying to do my best. It hasn’t been as much game time, but when you’re on it, I think you have to do your best. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
United’s attention now turns to the trip to Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace on May 6.
“It’s going to be full focus on the recovery,” Eriksen said. “It’s going to be weird because it’s going to be a long week with no games.
“It’s going to hopefully make everyone ready and fit for the Monday game at Palace. It’s going to be some days with some days off, some training, get yourself mentally and physically ready, and then we go again.
“Playing the games is always what you want to do, every game and every day. It’s different. Sometimes you need a bit of a rest to recover and prepare for the next game.
“It depends what the manager is going to do in training sessions or how much we’re going to prepare and what we’re going to do until the next game.”
As for Burnley, they continue their attempt to keep faint hopes of a great escape alive at home to Newcastle on next Saturday.
Clarets right-back Lorenz Assignon said after their Old Trafford draw: “It’s a really great point for the team
and for the end of the season. We are really happy but a little bit disappointed because maybe we could have won this game at the end.
“Yes, it was a big game. They had chances, us too. You know that’s football, sometimes it’s for us, sometimes for them.”
Newcastle, meanwhile, had Alexander Isak to thank for getting them back on track after a shambolic start against Sheffield United in which they fell behind to Anel Ahmedhodzic’s fifth-minute header and were fortunate not to slip further adrift as Cameron Archer and Ben Brereton Diaz made life uncomfortable.
The Swede’s expert run and finish from Jacob Murphy’s perfectlyweighted pass ensured they were level at the break, after which it was a different story as Bruno Guimaraes, Isak from the spot and substitute Callum Wilson struck either side of Ben Osborn’s own goal to seal victory.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was full of praise for his in-form striker, who cost a club record £63 million from Real Sociedad, raising some eyebrows having scored just six league goals in his final season, in August 2022.
Isak, 24, took his tally for this campaign to 23, 19 of them in the Premier League, and Howe, asked if the former AIK Solna and Borussia Dortmund frontman had improved since his arrival on Tyneside, said: “Without a doubt. For me, Alex is now a much better player. We signed a very, very good player, an outstanding individual, but I think just naturally from playing in the Premier League, you improve a lot.
“The league is so demanding. Physically, it’s tough and I think Alex would openly admit that. The league is tough for a striker – you’ve got to lead the line and especially with how we play and what we ask our players to do, it’s not easy.
“You can see the effort he has to put in week in, week out. But I have to say that his all-round game has developed lots of different facets that he didn’t have.
“The biggest thing, though, is that I think he’s confident in front of goal. You’ve got to remember he came from us having scored six goals in La Liga. That confidence needed to come and it gradually did as he started scoring regularly. Now he’s probably in the best moment of his career, that would be my assessment. He looks in a really good place and I’m enjoying watching him play.”
Newcastle are braced for interest in their star striker this summer, but in the meantime, Howe wants more of the same to aid their push for Europe.
He said: “I think we’ve set a good foundation for him. But of course the challenge never stops for him. Now it’s to continue to score goals. We need him to keep doing it, which at this level is very difficult.”