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Ex-United star aims jibe at Arsenal as he tells Amorim “big problem” he must urgently address after 2-0 loss

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    Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has identified the Red Devils’ vulnerability from set-pieces as an issue Ruben Amorim needs to urgently address, following Wednesday’s defeat at the hands of Arsenal.

    United slipped to a 2-0 loss at the Emirates courtesy of second-half goals from defensive duo Jurrien Timber and William Saliba.

    Both Arsenal’s goals came from corners. The hosts’ strikes took their goals-from-corners tally to 22 since the start of last season – a statistic that is unmatched by any other team in the Premier League.

    During his post-match press conference, Amorim admitted that United’s failure to defend set-pieces was the main reason why they lost the match.

    This was reiterated by Berbatov who said on Amazon Prime Video [via Manchester World], “I admit that in the second half, the storm was there for Manchester United.”

    “Ruben Amorim said earlier that a storm was going to come for his team and it came tonight. The set-pieces were a big problem for them and Arsenal scored twice from them.”

    “Now it’s back to the training ground to fix the mistakes.”

    Berbatov jokingly likened Arsenal to Tony Pulis’ Stoke City from a number of years ago, due to their reliance on dead-ball situations.

    The former Bulgaria international remarked, “Probably the Premier League is the only league in the world where there are so many players around the goalkeeper who are pushing and shoving…making chaos.”

    “Normally it’s a foul, but not here. You need to be strong and that’s why probably he [Amorim] was watching from the side and he was like ‘what is going on with my team.’”

    “So you need to work on that because obviously, as we joke, Arsenal is the new Stoke City – depending on set pieces which can give you the win, like it happened today.”

    “Arsenal are the new Stoke City!” 😂

    Dimitar Berbatov on the Gunners’ threat from set-pieces and Man Utd’s inability to adapt to the threat…#PLonPrime #ARSMUN pic.twitter.com/lRLHqOzs9D

    — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 4, 2024

    United will undoubtedly be keen to get back to winning ways when they host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday.

    Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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    Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

    “His general play is shocking”: Fuming Roy Keane brutally rips into United star who endured nightmare game vs. Arsenal

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      Legendary Manchester United captain Roy Keane pulled no punches in his assessment of Marcus Rashford, who endured a frustrating off-the-bench appearance in the club’s 2-0 loss against Arsenal.

      Ruben Amorim tasted his first defeat since being named United head coach as defensive duo Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from corners to clinch three points for the Gunners.

      The hosts demonstrated incredible physicality and aerial prowess, which ultimately made the difference in what was otherwise a tight affair at the Emirates.

      Keane watched the game alongside Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and Ian Wright on a YouTube watch-along for The Overlap.

      In the second half an angry Keane said, “I tell you what, Rashford has come on, his general play as a footballer is shocking. Watch his header there.”

      There was a moment in which United clumsily kicked the ball out of play. Keane remarked, “You know what that is, rubbish! That is f—ing rubbish… kicks it out of play.”

      Giving his verdict on the overall result, Keane explained, “You are on about these players, but what are we expecting from them? What have we seen from them for the last three or four years? This is what we have seen.”

      “We’ve seen them do well in the cup but in the league, this is what we’ve seen. What was I expecting? For Man United to go and win at Arsenal? No, but I was expecting them to have a go and if they get beat 2-1 or 3-1, but they must be sitting in the dressing room afterwards wondering what happened.”

      “They need to look in the mirror and ask if they gave everything tonight. Arsenal will be looking back saying ‘that wasn’t too bad’.”

      “I’m really disappointed with Manchester United. I thought the players were going through the motions a little bit. He’s only in the door, but the manager’s probably thinking he thought United were a bit better than this. I was getting really frustrated at the end there.”

      The Irish football pundit added, “It shows you what a job Amorim has to do there. It’s a massive job. That was obviously their toughest game and they have come up well short.”

      “When you see them come up against a good team like Arsenal, they are a long way off. I can’t see United finishing in the top six. Can you? It’s good that he [Amorim] has come in now and he’s taking the hits rather than everyone expecting him to fix it if had a pre-season. It’s a massive job he’s taken on.”

      Up next for United is a home meeting with Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

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      Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

      Amorim reveals one key positive he noticed about his United stars that Arsenal “couldn’t cope with”

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        Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has pinpointed the fact that his players made Arsenal uncomfortable and forced them to adjust on the pitch, as a huge positive he noticed despite the 2-0 defeat at the Emirates.

        Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from corner-kick routines to hand Amorim his first loss as United boss.

        After the match, Amorim spoke to reporters and addressed a number of issues including his rotation policy and the team’s performance.

        When asked which coach is in charge of set-pieces, Amorim replied, “Carlos [Fernandes] is responsible for the set-pieces and different stuff. Andreas [Georgson] is also there to help and that’s it.”

        “I think if you follow the Premier League for a long time, you can see that there are big players for that [set-pieces]. And you can see it on every occasion that [Bukayo] Saka and [Gabriel] Martinelli have won one against one. They go outside, they cross because they already know that if the cross is going well, they can score and if it’s a corner they can score. So we have to be better in those situations but we need time to improve. But you can see in all of Arsena’s games that the other team has problems with that.”

        On rotating players, Amorim remarked, “It’s not just because I like to change all the time but we have to keep the squad fit. So, for example, Harry Maguire has a time limit, Tyrell Malacia has a time limit, Mason Mount has a time limit and Leny Yoro has a time limit.”

        “So we have to manage games, different methodology, different way of playing and tomorrow we have to assess the guys that are at risk of injuring…and they will not play. We have to have everybody available to play and improve the squad.”

        On his side’s performance, Amorim told journalists, “We didn’t have a lot of time…we worked a lot on building up and you can see the structure, you can see the idea. But then in the final third, we need to improve. We need to be more aggressive and have more ideas but yeah that part is more difficult to improve without time.

        When asked what positive he took from the game, he replied, “I make an evaluation of the game regardless of the result. Like I said the 4-0 (vs. Everton), you can take positive things but we have to improve and you already knew that.”

        “But you could feel it in the stadium in the first half, especially towards the end of the first half, you could feel that they were not comfortable. You could feel it in the stadium…so you can take that. We had one day to put together a strategy and they couldn’t cope with that. They blocked, especially the right side, with players but we managed some control in these moments.”

        “I think the set pieces were the difference because they got a goal and then the momentum changed. And it became really hard to regain control of the game but it was hard…we tried but it was difficult.

        When requested to provide some clarity on Luke Shaw’s injury, Amorim insisted that he does not have full information about the issue.

        However, the United gaffer promised that he will support the England international through his recovery period.

        United return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

        Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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        Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

        2 key passes, 2 tackles, 0 shots: key midfielder’s high work rate insufficient to save United from 2-0 loss to Arsenal

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          It was a difficult evening for Manchester United on Wednesday as they slumped to a 2-0 loss to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

          For much of the match, Man United found themselves on the back foot against a far more cohesive Arsenal side.

          It was clear that United were still struggling to adjust to life under new manager Ruben Amorim, particularly when it comes to adopting his preferred 3-4-3 formation and in-game tactics.

          While Amorim’s side managed to maintain 49% possession, they were placed under immense pressure by the home side, often restricted to their own final third.

          What’s more, United only managed to take five shots the entire evening compared to Arsenal’s 14.

          Still, captain Bruno Fernandes provided the team with some hope, taking an expert free kick near the end of the match in which he threaded a through ball to Antony who beat the defence and thumped a left-footed strike goalward, only for the keeper to save it.

          Fernandes proved effective with the ball at his feet, taking 77 touches and completing 57 of 67 passes for an 85% passing accuracy.

          He supplied two key passes while completing five of his 10 long balls. His only cross of the match successfully found its target.

          Fernandes put in a great defensive display, rushing back to support his back line in an attempt to half the home team’s attack. He performed one clearance and two tackles while blocking one shot.

          Physically, the United skipper struggled to keep up with his opponents winning just two of seven ground duels. He failed to win either of his aerial duels.

          Perhaps Fernandes’ weakest aspect of play was his attacking performance. He produced zero shots on goal while also failing to attempt a single dribble.

          What was clear from Fernandes’ and United’s performances alike is that they both appeared to be struggling to adapt to Amorim’s strategic approach. While Fernandes put in a high work rate and exhibited an impressive passing game, his performance was nowhere near its best in a match where United came across as the weaker side for the majority of the contest.

          (Stats via Sofascore)

          Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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          A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

          Ruben Amorim laments costly mistake that “killed” United in 2-0 loss vs. Arsenal

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            Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has lamented his team’s failure to be more aggressive during Arsenal’s set-pieces as the main reason for their 2-0 loss vs. Arsenal.

            Arsenal defenders Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from corner kicks in the second half to sink United and hand Amorim his first loss as United boss.

            The result has left United in 11th position in the Premier League table, with just 19 points gained from a possible 42.

            Against Arsenal, United didn’t manage to win even one corner-kick. The hosts, on the other hand, had 19 of them and looked incredibly dangerous on almost every single occasion.

            After the final whistle, Amorim spoke to BBC Match of the Day and had his say on his team’s performance and the result at the Emirates.

            The 39-year-old coach said, “The set pieces changed the game. We could’ve been more aggressive towards the Arsenal box.”

            “Until the set pieces the game didn’t have too many opportunities for both sides, the set pieces killed the game.”

            “They can put a lot of players near the goalkeeper and it’s almost impossible to fight for the ball but we have to manage to defend them and we already know we have to be better.”

            He added, “We were committed and we lost to the set pieces. If Matthijs [de Ligt] can score in that moment the momentum would be different.”

            “We tried to play but they are a very organised team and it’s hard to score.

            “I felt the players were in control of the game, the set pieces changed the game in the second half.”

            Up next for United is Nottingham Forest on Sunday at Old Trafford. The match kicks off at 17:30 GMT.

            Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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            Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

            Amorim changed his approach vs Arsenal, a bit more bravery could have done the trick

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              Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as Manchester United boss with Arsenal scoring two set-piece goals in the second-half to claim all three points at the Emirates on Wednesday.

              The gameplan was clear from the Portuguese with the visitors trying to maintain control of the ball to not allow the Gunners time and space to conjure anything.

              It was a sharp contrast from the previous three games under the former Sporting Lisbon boss where the team were quick off the blocks.

              And the plan worked a treat in the opening 45 minutes as the hosts hardly created a chance of note. But the setup meant the away team also did not create too many clear-cut chances.

              Corners were the difference

              But the home side ramped up the pressure in the second half and their superiority from corners eventually made the difference in the end.

              United should have prepared for the eventuality a lot better heading into the game considering Mikel Arteta’s side have scored the most goals from set-pieces in the Premier League.

              Inswinging corners right into the heart of the box proved too difficult for the Red Devils to block as Jurrien Timber and William Saliba got on the scoresheet.

              The North London side won 13 corners throughout the game while the team from Old Trafford failed to win even one.

              Looking back, Amorim must feel that Arsenal were there for the taking in the first half when his team controlled the ball but they were much more happy to restrict the opposition rather than go all out in attack.

              United were too focused on control

              Wednesday’s game was almost a free-hit for Amorim with not many people expecting the 20-time English league champions to win and a little bit more bravery could have been shown especially going forward.

              United had a couple of decent chances in the second-half with David Raya pulling off a diving save off a Matthijs de Ligt header while Antony’s effort from a clever free-kick routine almost caught the hosts out but they eventually cleared.

              The game was an improvement on what we constantly saw under Erik ten Hag but supporters were expecting more from Amorim’s side on the day.

              The Red Devils are 11th in the table and with Nottingham Forest up next, Amorim must try and go back to his original idea and ask his players to go on the attack from the word go instead of yet another timid approach.

              Feature image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

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              Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25

              100% ground duels won, 4/5 long balls, 2 clearances: United star didn’t deserve to be on the losing team against Arsenal

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                Ruben Amorim suffered his first defeat as Manchester United’s head coach, as his side slipped to a 2-0 loss against Arsenal at the Emirates.

                Jurrien Timber and William Saliba both scored from second-half corner kicks to sink United.

                The Red Devils had 49% possession in comparison to Arsenal’s 51% share of the ball. Amorim’s men managed just two shots on target from their total five cracks at goal. The hosts on the other hand fired 14 shots at Andre Onana, with six of these requiring the Cameroonian to swing into action.

                United put together 473 passes with a success rate of 86%. The North London outfit strung nine fewer passes with a slightly better pass completion rate of 87%.

                Arsenal won 13 corners. United had none.

                Despite the loss, there are one or two United players who can somewhat be proud of their efforts. One of these stars is Harry Maguire.

                Maguire was named in Amorim’s starting XI for the first time ever, following a lengthy period on the sidelines with an injury.

                During the 60 minutes he was on the pitch, the England international made two clearances and as many tackles.

                He also produced one crucial interception.

                Maguire won all three ground duels he delved into and drew one foul. He touched the ball on 54 occasions and found his teammates with 44 of the 46 passes he attempted, managing a superb individual pass accuracy of 96%.

                The former United skipper successfully connected with four of the five long balls he pinged.

                (Stats obtained from Sofascore)

                It was certainly an assured performance from the 31-year-old, who demonstrated that he has a lot to offer under Amorim.

                United’s next assignment will see them host Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday. Kick-off is at 17:30 GMT.

                Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images

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                Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!

                Four things we learnt as United fall to a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Arsenal

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                  Manchester United travelled to North London to take on Arsenal, looking to win their second consecutive league game.

                  Andre Onana started in goal with Harry Maguire replacing the suspended Lisandro Martinez. Former Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui took up their usual spots in the centre of the defence.

                  Diogo Dalot was brought back as the right wing back and Tyrell Malacia started his first Premier League game since May 2023.

                  Bruno Fernandes dropped back into midfield to partner Manuel Ugarte and Mason Mount and Alejandro Garnacho dropped in just behind the striker.

                  Despite braces against Everton at the weekend, Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee were both dropped to the bench and Rasmus Hojlund was charged with leading the line.

                  Here are four things we learnt from the match.

                  A change of approach

                  Away days against top teams under Erik ten Hag would often be characterised by either backs-to-the-wall defending or chaos ball, where both teams had numerous chances.

                  The first half against Arsenal would not win any prizes for entertainment but it allowed United to show a solidity they haven’t done for a long time.

                  They ended the first half with Arsenal only having three shots on goal and zero on target.

                  The Red Devils were also able to control more of the possession, edging it at 52%. It is hard to know what Ruben Amorim’s exact approach will be once he knows and trusts his players more, but the first 45 minutes were certainly a departure from what United fans have got used to over the last couple of years.

                  United ripped apart from corners

                  Arsenal are unquestionably the best set piece team in the league but Amorim will be furious with how his side was taken apart by both goals.

                  United had a few warnings in the first half but just about managed to keep out the Gunners.

                  They had no such luck in the second half as Arsenal scored twice and could have added one or two more as United had no idea how to handle the home side’s crafty tactics.

                  The sheer amount of opportunities that were given to the home side will perplex fans as they reached double figures in corners and it felt like United were asking for trouble time and time again.

                  Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles with his back to goal continue

                  Hojlund was mightily impressive against Bodo/Glimt last week and many were surprised he was dropped against Everton at the weekend.

                  The Dane is great with space to run into with his raw pace and power but struggles when he is tasked to hold the play up.

                  Whilst United were organised out of possession and held onto the ball quite well, they could rarely use Hojlund as a reliable outlet to escape the pressure and release his fellow attackers or Alejandro Garnacho.

                  Amorim will obviously need time to work out his players and the signs are certainly good that he is a fast learner but many fans will be demanding that perhaps Joshua Zirkzee may be the better choice if they want to play with a target man striker instead of the 21 year old Scandinavian.

                  Mason Mount still cannot find role

                  Ruben Amorim has been gushing in his praise for the Englishman since he joined the club.

                  However, United fans are still yet to see anything close to the player that helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021.

                  The Englishman was entrusted to start ahead of Marcus Rashford but failed to provide anything to suggest he is ready to start regularly at the club.

                  Mount will always work hard off the ball and press but he showed little quality on it and as most of his career at Old Trafford so far, his performance was largely forgettable.

                  He was finally subbed off after 58 minutes and he will certainly reflect on the numerous improvements he will have to make if he is to live up to his coach’s expectations.

                  Featured image Julian Finney via Getty Images

                  Alex is a huge Manchester United fan, inspired by greats of his homeland such as George Best, Harry Gregg and Norman Whiteside. Proud owner of such niche shirts such as Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba and Gary Neville. Grew up pretending to be Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the back garden, with little success.

                  Arsenal beat Man Utd with Arteta’s not-so-secret weapon but improvement clear under Amorim

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                    Arsenal did not look convincing in attack from open play against Manchester United, which is fine when you can unlock any team in world football from a corner, which they did twice on Wednesday.

                    Being set-piece savvy was beneath the bigger teams. It was the only way smaller teams score against them. Not anymore. Arsenal have turned that cliché on its head.

                    It must be lovely being able to bail yourselves out from a corner when you are failing to create from open play and two corner goals were the difference between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates.

                    The Gunners have won points from their not-so-secret weapon on countless occasions and in other matches have been their route to open the scoring on the way to a convincing victory – just like against West Ham United on Saturday.

                    We say Arsenal weren’t convincing from open play but they were still better than United, who are in transition and learning to play a different formation under new head coach Ruben Amorim.

                    You can hardly say that Amorim was outsmarted by Mikel Arteta but he did not have an answer for those pesky corners. His way of dealing with them was to have six or seven defenders parked in the six-yard box, closer to Andre Onana’s line than the six-yard line. It clearly didn’t work given the scoreline but Arsenal had 13 corners in total, so it could have been worse…we guess?

                    Declan Rice saw the whole United defence parked on the line and was not bothered. In fact, his delivery has never looked more dangerous; it was on the money nearly every time. Bukayo Saka’s delivery was less convincing but still led to the second goal.

                    Arsenal’s opener came via Jurrien Timber, who flicked in his first goal for the Gunners from a delicious Rice corner. It felt inevitable as Arsenal won corner after corner and it was no surprise when their second came from the same pattern of play.

                    Saka’s back-post delivery found Thomas Partey, who headed it into William Saliba’s arse and the Frenchman wheeled off to celebrate as if he had just banged one in from 30 yards.

                    Partey should have scored from a corner in the early minutes, as it goes. He might not have expected the ball to find him but it did, hitting off his shoulder from three yards out and going wide. Two other close calls were when Joshua Zirkzee almost scored an own goal, being saved by a clearance off the line from fellow summer signing Manuel Ugarte, and when a wide open Mikel Merino headed just wide at 2-0.

                    It could have been worse for the Red Devils but limiting Arsenal to chances mainly from corners (which is their deadliest weapon, we know) is pretty good going.

                    United were competitive and are finally showing some identity on the pitch, something that was scarce under previous manager Erik ten Hag.

                    Last season, Arteta did not show Ten Hag respect by letting Man United knock the ball around freely. They did nothing with it and Arsenal’s game plan worked a treat, while braindead United fans insisted they ‘dominated the game’. Arteta showed Amorim plenty of respect with a high press and believe it or not, the visitors dealt with it admirably.

                    One move in particular in the early minutes saw first-time passes in their defensive third lead to Tyrell Malacia carrying the ball into the Arsenal defensive third in a matter of seconds. It is remarkable that it’s taken a new manager for these players to realise they are actually really good at their jobs.

                    While Amorim’s side showed maturity in an away game against ‘Big Six’ opposition by slowing the game down and playing out of the back effectively, they were characteristically toothless in attack, which shows what is easier for a new manager to address. The Arsenal back four was there to be attacked as well. Jakub Kiwior and Oleksandr Zinchenko started due to injuries to Gabriel Magalhaes and Riccardo Calafiori. That is quite a downgrade but it was hard to tell.

                    Kiwior did well and Zinchenko was fine until in-form winger Amad Diallo came on. He caused him plenty of problems but David Raya was not tested from open play. His best save denied a Matthijs de Ligt header from a Bruno Fernandes free-kick and United’s best move was from a set-piece on the edge of the box. It was tidy but the scoring opportunity fell to Antony.

                    This was a free hit for Amorim, really, and fans won’t lose any sleep tonight over a 2-0 defeat away to Arsenal. It is a tricky December for United but at least they won’t be playing against a team so capable from set-pieces every week.

                    They will be content but Arsenal will be delighted. They weren’t at their best and won, while Liverpool finally dropped some points on a mental night at St James’ Park.

                    History repeating itself: United slumped to 2-0 defeat at Arsenal due to this constant flaw

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                      Manchester United fell to a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal in a tightly-contested match at The Emirates.

                      Sadly, Ruben Amorim’s defence was unable to adapt to Arsenal’s corner tactics; a mistake that cost them the game.

                      While Man United decided to play the ball back off of their kick-off, they showed great composure and close control, completing an array of intricate passes under pressure before pushing upfield.

                      Three minutes in, Arsenal were celebrating after Gabriel Martinelli put the ball into the back of the net. Still, United knew that there was no reason to panic as the goal was well offside. Still, goalkeeper Andre Onana would need to be more careful going forward, as it was his long ball that was intercepted in the final third.

                      In the eighth minute, Thomas Partey’s header from close range went wide following a threatening corner. It was a lucky break for the United defence which clearly lacked focus in the moment.

                      While United managed to retain more possession around the 15-minute mark, they struggled to penetrate Arsenal’s airtight defence. Furthermore, the home team’s aggression placed Ruben Amorim’s men under significant pressure. Clearly, something had to change in order for United to find a breakthrough.

                      Noussair Mazraoui gave away the ball in the final third to Bukhayo Saka, but Bruno Fernandes was fortunately aware enough to block the subsequent pass and end the attack.

                      Saka appeared to break through the defence after receiving a long ball; however, Tyrell Malacia held his ground to block him off. Mazraoui then booted the ball out for a corner.
                      Maguire headed the threatening ball out before Oleksandr Zinchenko’s shot was blocked by Manuel Ugarte. United did well to handle the pressure from what was a deadly corner kick.

                      In the 29th minute, Saka drilled a ball into the box that Maguire did well to block before Onana cleared the ball out for a corner. Onana did well to catch the corner.

                      Following a prolonged period of possession, Arsenal’s attack culminated in a cross from Martinelli that Onana comfortably caught.

                      Three minutes from the break, United received a free-kick when Garnacho was fouled by Jurrien Timber. Mason Mount’s free-kick found Harry Maguire, who headed the ball back to Mount, whose shot was so skewed that the ball returned to Maguire. He then laid the ball off to Diogo Dalot, whose shot went disappointingly wide.

                      Tyrell Malacia was booked for bringing down Kai Havertz.

                      Moments later, Malacia performed a superb sliding tackle to dispossess Timber. While the Arsenal player collapsed, Manuel Ugarte protested to the referee, claiming that Timber dived. The referee then decided to brandish a yellow card to Ugarte for dissent.

                      The half-time whistle blew, bringing a pause to what had been a cagey affair with minimal scoring opportunities.

                      Unwilling to take a risk on a defender on a booking, Rubem Amorim decided to replace Malacia with Amad Diallo. The winger shifted to Dalot’s position, while Dalot shifted to Malacia’s LWB role.

                      United got an early break, with Garnacho sprinting forward and playing a cross to Hojlund, who was too slow to meet the ball.

                      Moments later, Martinelli sparked a counter, taking a shot that deflected off Maguire’s legs and into Onana’s gloves.

                      The homes side kept up the pressure, with Declan Rice attempting a shot that seemed to deflect off Mount’s leg. United did well to deal with the corner which posed minimal threat.

                      Suddenly, bad news arrived as Matthijs de Ligt collapsed on the sideline. It appeared as if he was struggling with an injured left leg.

                      Fortunately, De Ligt was able to return to action, yet the referee questionable booked Maguire for throwing a ball onto the field to get play back underway. The referee seemed intent to be stricter against the away team.

                      In the 53rd minute, the home side scored. Rice’s corner found Timber, who flicked the ball ever so slightly into the back of the net with a soft header.

                      Four minutes later, Saka appeared to break through the defence, however, Onana saved his shot on the ground.

                      Dalot took a long-range shot that wizzed past the far post.

                      With little over 30 minutes to play, Amorim made a triple change. Leny Yoro marked his Premier League debut, coming on for Maguire, while Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee replaced Garnacho and Mount.

                      Zirkzee had an almost immediate impact, heading an Arsenal corner out of danger, with the ball knicking Ugarte on the way out. Rashford did well to deal with the subsequent corner.

                      Amad did brilliantly to dribble past Zinchenko toward the box, who fouled Amad on the edge of the box. Fernandes’ free kick found De Ligt, whose header forced a save from David Raya. That was United’s best scoring opportunity of the match so far.

                      In the 73rd minute, the home team struck again. Another Arsenal corner got the better of United, with William Saliba scoring with a header. Poor marking from a clearly struggling United defence.

                      With 14 minutes to play, another Arsenal corner came in, finding the head of Mikel Moreno whose attempt drifted inches wide. Yet again, the United defence were nowhere to be found.

                      In the 79th minute, Antony came on for Hojlund in what would be United’s final substitution of the night.

                      Saka broke through United’s defence, sending a through ball to Leandro Trossard that Yoro managed to clear for a corner.

                      Moreno fouled Antony on the edge of the box, handing United an opportune free kick. Fernandes played an unexpected through ball to Antony, whose left-footed strike was saved by the keeper. An ingenious free-kick tactic by United.

                      Four added minutes were announced, providing United with a chance to at least get on the scoresheet.

                      It was a bitter defeat for United to swallow, particularly Amorim, who suffered his first loss since arriving at Old Trafford. Clearly, there is still plenty of work to be done on the training pitch to get the players to adjust to a new formation and playing style.

                      Starting XI: Onana, Mazraoui, De Ligt, Maguire, Mount, Fernandes, Hojlund, Malacia, Garnacho, Dalot, Ugarte
                      Subs: Amad, Yoro, Rashford, Zirkzee, Antony

                      Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images

                      Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

                      A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.

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