Kevin Whitcher
Hopes were high going into the trip to Manchester thanks to Arsenal’s form so far this season, but the outcome was a familiar one. The visitors were not helped by a bug that accounted for Mertesacker and Rosicky, although with the return of Flamini, one suspects Rosicky might have been rested anyway. However, the absence of Mertesacker was a huge worry in a fixture of this significance, and there was debate in the aftermath of this game whether or not his presence might have made a difference to the result.
Possibly. Whether or not he would have challenged Van Persie for the winning goal we cannot know, but what is certain is that the zonal marking system Arsenal use does not allow players to impede a run like that the former Gunners captain made to score. Is Steve Bould the man who decides that Arsenal will defend this way? Many would like a return to the man to man marking system that would seem to give Arsenal more chance at set pieces on the assumption that everyone is switched on.
Up until the moment of the goal, Arsenal defended well as a unit, bolstered by the return of Flamini and all the attacking players getting back to do their bit. Flamini picked up a fifth booking this season to mean a suspension when Southampton visit. It feels like a long time since an Arsenal player picked up five yellows and received a ban, although I would hazard a guess that the last name to suffer this in a Gunners’ shirt was Alex Song. In a rather perverted way though, it feels good to see Flamini picking up cautions, because it means he is doing what he is good at – stopping the opposition in their tracks by fair means or foul.
In attack, the visitors created very little in the first half, and it felt a bit similar to recent visits to United in their inability to really make an impact. It was, of course, a similar story to the Dortmund first half, although this time, the defence was breached. One wondered if flu was responsible for a rather indistinguished performance from Ozil.
After the interval, Arsenal put their game together more and enjoyed greater possession and penetration. However, an unfortunate moment saw Vermaelen and Ozil standing over a free kick about 35 yards out, and the Arsenal captain pulling rank on the £42 million man to blast a shot well over the bar. How many of these does he get on target? Surely better to let the number 11 try to find the target?
I could be wrong, but I believe Gibbs’ effort after 75 minutes was the first shot the visitors enjoyed on target. It was not really good enough. Sagna did ping in a couple of excellent crosses, but they eluded everybody including the Arsenal forwards.
As the clock ticked down, it all felt a bit familiar. Hoping Wenger’s team could just get a bit of luck and a clear attempt on goal, but invariably snuffed out by United’s defence. Subs were tried, and although Wilshere and Gnabry produced a couple of moments, they didn’t lead to anything. As for Nicklas Bendtner, he was presumably thrown on to benefit from crosses that were to rain into the box, but had minimal impact, exposing the lack of options once you look past Giroud.
However, at least it wasn’t all bad news. Chelsea dropped two points at home, whilst Manchester City lost away. If Tottenham are still considered title contenders, they lost at home. What Arsenal must do is to continue taking maximum points off the lesser teams, precisely because their rivals are struggling to do just that. Then, these matches with the contenders will not be so costly when points are dropped. I recall Manchester United themselves winning the title one recent season and having a very poor record against the teams around them, simply because they did so well against everyone else.
So this defeat isn’t terminal. Taking the fixture list at the start of the season, and regardless of form, it is expected. It does show that Arsenal might struggle against better organized defences, but what they do at home against these top sides can compensate. They must regroup and win when Southampton visit in a fortnight’s time, and ensure that the defeat to United is just a blip rather than the shape of things to come. They will have Mertesacker back, and hopefully some stronger options on the bench. They are still two points clear at the top, and it is too early to draw conclusions from their first league defeat since the visit of Aston Villa. Better to win two and lose one that win one and draw two. Staying unbeaten isn’t always what it is cracked up to be. Ensuring when points are taken that they are draws rather than wins is ultimately more important than suffering the odd defeat.
It just didn’t happen for Arsenal at Old Trafford. Whether that was flu or lack of quality, time will tell. The one annoying thing about this fixture is that, Van Persie and Rooney aside, this is not a very good United side. Still, one can say the same about last season, and they still won the title comfortably.
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