It’s often asserted that hope leads us to anguish, and this sentiment aptly underlines the gruelling task of anticipating a slip from Manchester City. This presumably played a part in Arsenal’s agonising performance at Old Trafford, seemingly grappling with the after-effects of a potent toxic exposure.
2024 has not seen a performance as dismal as what Mikel Arteta’s side presented. However, by the match’s end, they marked a victory which allows them to strive on till the finish.
Arteta remarked on the significance of the match venue, acknowledging the lack of positive historical instances at this location. Arsenal’s record showcased a mere four victories out of thirty one prior visits to Old Trafford in the Premier League. Contrary to history, though, the betting odds were hugely in favour of Arsenal, whereas an unprecedented 8/1 were put against United, suggesting their current pitiful condition.
The immense pressure and anticipation negatively affected Arsenal, dominating initially but ultimately falling into a lethargic play. Arteta expressed his team played too cautiously, barely engaging in the game.
Fortunately for Arsenal and the Premier League buzz, their opposition was arguably one of the weakest United teams ever seen in the tournament.
To substantiate this potentially drastic judgement, United require four points from their impending matches against Newcastle and Brighton to merely level with their lowest points tally in Premier League history. Scoring four more goals than they concede is necessary to avoid exceeding their worst goal difference-record. They’ve already surpassed the number of losses previously endured in any season of the Premier League, making this squad arguably the poorest United has possessed in over three decades.
Manchester United’s dreadful performance is rationalised by Erik ten Hag, referring to an extensive injury list, comprised of ten key players, collectively worth in excess of £400 million, albeit their current market value may have decreased. The list comprises of Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia (twice mentioned), Luke Shaw, Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Wayne Rooney, during his Sky Sports appearance, insinuated a form of passive resignation by these players. He surmised that a number of the missing squad could have participated, however, they were unwilling to risk further injury for United’s stagnating league campaign, in a match they were certain they’d lose.
Erik ten Hag had endeavored to ignite his team, who had proven disappointing in a 4-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, by challenging them to redeem their standing in the eyes of dismayed fans. That particular match is largely remembered for the nightmarish defensive display put forth by temporary central defender Casemiro, who was outmaneuvered eight times. This was a record for one player in a single season’s match. The first goal for Palace was embarrassingly attributed to him, courtesy of Michael Olise.
Following the match, Jamie Carragher likened Casemiro’s game to a boxer suffering brain injury and advocated for his retirement. Incredibly, Casemiro was reinstated as a central defender a mere six days later. This begs the question; how poor a performance must it take for one to lose their spot in Erik ten Hag’s defensive line-up?
The coach justified his decision after the match by claiming he had no other options. Despite having Willy Kambwala, who he argued was not fit for a full match, and Scott McTominay, who was deployed as an attacking midfielder instead.
On the subject of McTominay playing defense, Ten Hag admitted to not having seen it but was told it wasn’t always successful. It’s worth noting that McTominay frequently played central defense for Scotland, even contributing to a clean sheet against England at Wembley during the Euro 2020 finals. However, Scotland lost a few of those games, prompting Ten Hag to stick with Casemiro despite having let 10 goals slip past his keeper in his four matches as a central defender.
Casemiro made a costly mistake within 20 minutes that cost his team the match. Upon dropping near to his own goal line to provide Andre Onana with a short pass possibility, he overlooked his capacity to put any Arsenal striker onside just by being there, and instead took a small rest. A blunder typical of a player unfamiliar and unwilling to adapt to the requirements of the position he was playing.
Erik ten Hag made a comment about how “a single error can change everything” – a statement reflecting the nature of high-level defence, where minor errors are magnified. His willingness to accept these small failures may be the reason why United has suffered 82 goals across all tournaments in this season – the highest number since the 1970/71 season.
Mikel Arteta might view the mention of the 1970/71 season as a good omen. Speaking from Old Trafford, Arteta seemed well-versed with the records: “27 victories in the Premier League – the highest in the club’s 130 years of history. It’s not just progress, it’s making history,” he stated. With the highest previous victory tally being 26 in a 38-game season, Arsenal’s current success is truly exceptional.
However, the immediate competition in question is Manchester City, who have surpassed this record in five out of the past six seasons. A victory in either of their remaining two matches would mean beating the record six times in the last seven seasons. Arsenal has never had to contend with such a formidable opponent.
Taking into account the impressive records Arsenal has broken this season, it is sobering that they may still finish empty-handed. Following their loss to Aston Villa, which handed the advantage to City, Arteta expressed his exasperation: “Considering the string of victories we’ve had, we should have been ahead by six or eight points in any other league in the world.”
The month since the Villa loss has seen Arteta develop a more philosophical and accepting approach. His squad will fight until the very end, and, regardless of the outcome, they will “witness the experience” of a Premier League finale with a shot at the title. After all, City might stumble.