GIROUD LEVELLER LEAVES JOSE ON A DOWNER

SO Arsene Wenger did not get to end that extraordinary run of games in which he has failed to beat Jose Mourinho — but this, surely, felt almost as good.

It is 15 games unbeaten for Mourinho now in real competitions, with Wenger’s only win coming in last year’s Community Shield.

Yet when Arsenal winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain accelerated away from Marcus Rashford in the final minute of normal time, when Olivier Giroud rose powerfully to head home a fine cross and steal a point, Wenger might have allowed himself just a small snigger.

Mourinho felt it, too. ‘Finally, I lost against Arsene,’ he said as he got up to leave his press conference, an aside he knew was the best line of the afternoon. ‘That’s the feeling I take home,’ he said.

Just five words encapsulated so much. It echoed his theme that United were the ‘unlucky ones’ at present and the way Mourinho tells it Manchester United (annual turnover £515million) are the plucky underdogs in the Premier League full of giants. It also, of course, reminded us that, in fact, he hasn’t lost against Wenger.

And, in truth this was an afternoon during which Mourinho’s team had done enough to merit victory.

It wasn’t as one-sided as the Stoke and Burnley games, where United also drew at home. But against a side much superior to those, they were clearly better.

‘I don’t explain it,’ said Mourinho of the result. ‘What I explain is what my team did. Amazing control against a team that is very good. A team that normally produces very good attacking football, was completely controlled; a team with some amazing players, but we didn’t see them.

‘I’m happy with the players, but it feels like a defeat. For Arsenal, it was feeling like a victory.’

He ran through a list of problems he had inherited: an unbalanced squad, formidable rivals and having to play ‘mistake-prone youngsters.’

In doing so, he wasn’t being harsh on Rashford. ‘It can happen,’ he said of him allowing Oxlade-Chamberlain in at the end. ‘I put him on the left side, but he is not a defender.’

That said, Oxlade-Chamberlain’s cross and Giroud’s header were both excellent; and both were subs. Some kind of Wenger master stroke?

‘It would be pretentious to say that,’ said the Arsenal boss, who knew his side had played poorly, but he drew the inevitable positives.

‘We’ve done that so many times this season, that there is something in this team quite remarkable: great unity, great resilience. But we know we need to do better going forward.’

Although this was not vintage United, it was good. At times, it was perhaps as well as United have played under Mourinho.

There was confidence in their system; in Ander Herrera there was excellence, dictating midfield rhythms; from Juan Mata, there was leadership.

If you wanted to undermine Mourinho, you could highlight that this was more points dropped at home; that this is their worst start to a season for 12 years, which includes the David Moyes and Louis van Gaal eras.

‘In a very difficult Premier League, I know, the players know, the board know, the owners know, and from the reaction of the public, the fans know… that when you see a performance like that, there is work behind it,’ countered Mourinho.

‘We are very confident and very happy with our work.’ And, on this occasion, Mourinho’s words genuinely reflected the mood.

Old Trafford has a special way of embracing its own and when the fans chanted the manager’s name after the Mata goal, it felt as though he is starting to establish himself.

The early exchanges were more promising for Arsenal, when Mesut Ozil and Mohamed Elneny cleverly worked a corner to Nacho Monreal. His cross was flicked on by Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez, yards out from goal, headed wide.

It had been a surprise to see the Chilean in the starting line-up following his exploits scoring twice against Uruguay on Tuesday. His hamstring heavily strapped, it became apparent his desire to play had superseded better judgment as he struggled.

That Sanchez chance apart, United had the better of the first half, the most-animated performance of all was Mourinho’s on the touchline when Nacho Monreal stuck out a string arm, in the box impeding Antonio Valencia.

Valencia’s theatrical reaction cost him the decision and from Mourinho, apoplexy ensued, though diplomacy prevailed later.

‘Andre Marriner is a referee with balance,’ said the Portuguese. ‘I have seen the replay four times, so I know if it was or wasn’t a penalty. I want to reaffirm that the referee did his best.’

And Mourinho had his own reason to be thankful for Marriner’s leniency. Matteo Darmian, booked for a foul on Theo Walcott on 24 minutes, stuck his studs on Carl Jenkinson’s ankles on 33 minutes and escaped with a lecture rather than a red card.

Wayne Rooney came on for Anthony Martial in the 63rd minute but it was Mata who was United’s hero as he swept the ball past Cech six minutes.

It looked odds-on a United victory — then Giroud struck late on to earn a point for the visitors.