A lot of questions are being asked of Mikel Arteta’s squad after Arsenal lost 3-2 to Manchester United at the Emirates.
On a monstrous occasion, the spotlight was on Arsenal to beat their rivals and return to winning ways in the Premier League.
Instead, the Gunners looked nervous, passive and shied away from the challenge, sending a concerning message out to their Premier League title rivals.
Arsenal still sit four points clear at the summit, so it’s not the end of the world, but Arteta has a lot of feedback to give his players after the flattening defeat.
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Gary Neville says Mikel Arteta was fuming at Arsenal during Man United defeat
One of the biggest questions the Arsenal manager will have for his players regards the reaction after the Gunners went ahead.
Normally, when Arteta’s side takes the lead, they win, but it only took minutes after their opener to realise this might not be the case.
Gary Neville was stunned at Arsenal’s game management after going 1-0 up through a Lisandro Martinez own goal, and doubled down on his frustration in that moment when speaking at full-time.
“There’s a telling moment, I think, when Manchester United got their first real counterattack when I think Mbeumo goes through,” the pundit said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
“He’s got Gabriel and Saliba coming back at him, and he turns back, and he plays it to Bruno Fernandes, and Bruno Fernandes just snatches at it and pulls it past the near post.”
Neville wasn’t alone when feeling the frustration at Arsenal’s inability to preserve their lead, as he recalled what he saw Arteta do in the moments that followed the Gunners going ahead.
“Mikel Arteta, you can see him right down beneath us here because he’s a feature when you’re at Arsenal because he’s always so active.
“He’s fuming that they’ve allowed Manchester United to have a chance because they’ve given encouragement, and then there was another chance straight after that, and then the goal came, and it was self-inflicted pain by Arsenal.”
Arsenal have a clear run at the Premier League title given how poor other teams have been, but to echo Neville’s comment, it seems that the Gunners just can’t help but inflict pain on themselves.
Arsenal’s title chances after losing to Man United revealed
It has to be said that if any team is going to stop Arsenal from winning the Premier League this season, it’s Arsenal.
The Gunners might’ve lost against Man United, and the pain might be confronting, but it’s not all doom and gloom.
Fill the blanks, I think Arsenal have a __% chance of winning the Premier League.
Opta’s supercomputer still thinks Arsenal are firm favourites to win the title, having an 84.44% chance of lifting the trophy in May, while Man City, with an 8.38% chance, and Aston Villa, with a 7.09% chance, follow.
Losses hurt, especially when they are so rare, but amid the frustration at the defeat, perspective is needed.
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