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Manchester United have made some history at the Emirates Stadium, but not quite as they would have liked. A draw after this deadlock meant they set a new club record for unbeaten away league games.
The streak now stands at 18 and has 14 wins. Ole Gunnar Solskjær had wanted a reaction to the chaotic home loss to Sheffield United on Wednesday night and he got it in the form of a significantly improved performance. But his team couldn’t find the tip.
They had the opportunity to score in a dominant performance in the first half and none better than that of Edinson Cavani rejected in the second half. At close range he could not find the target of a cross from Luke Shaw. The Uruguayan was also a few inches wide with a scissor kick in the 89th minute.
Arsenal were much better after the interval and they too had the opportunity to win with only the crossbar preventing Alexandre Lacazette’s free kick. It’s now an encouraging seven league games since they tasted defeat.
United’s crash against Sheffield United had framed the contest and it was certainly one of the shocking results of a single season. Prior to that, the club’s last league loss was to Arsenal in the reverse game at Old Trafford on November 1. United’s undefeated run in the competition stood at 13 appearances and it was almost impossible to predict the non-performance against the lower club in the division.
Perhaps it was an illustration that cracks continue to lurk in United’s roster and the question initially was whether Arsenal could locate them. It was clear that they would have to do it the hard way because Mikel Arteta was without three key players: Kieran Tierney, Bukayo Saka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Saka, who reported a hip problem, was in the form of blisters.
The biting cold of north London hardly appeased passions at the start with Cédric Soares shaking his compatriot Bruno Fernandes. Cedric led with his arm in an aerial challenge and he grabbed Fernandes before chasing him with a few choice words in his ear. Fernandes jumped up and pushed the full back; Cedric was reserved.
Fernandes could be seen in conversation with Granit Xhaka and soon after he left his boot in a challenge with the Arsenal midfielder, raking him through Achilles’ tendon. This time there was no map. It was nasty animosity, if not at the highest level of Arsenal-United.
The game was more open than it had been at Old Trafford, with United stepping on the front foot and coming in to control the first half. Their passes and movements were smoother, their comfort on the ball more pronounced. The final action, however, slipped away, with Marcus Rashford playing a heavy pass to overlapping Fernandes and also failing to unload a point-blank shot after a cross from Luke Shaw reached him.
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Fred extended Bernd Leno after a half-cleared corner – it was a great save from the Arsenal goalkeeper – and Aaron Wan-Bissaka took the lead when he was poorly scored. Then there were Fernandes’ first half moments. After being released by Paul Pogba, he jumped inside David Luiz before rolling out of the frame, then saw a 45th minute free kick on the edge of the zone hitting a David Luiz jumping into the box. wall and loop some more.
Arsenal were happy to arrive at half-time 0-0. Gabriel Martinelli almost played Lacazette while Nicolas Pépé curled a meter wide after a run, but Arteta’s side had not shown enough of a cohesive attacking force.
Solskjær had made five changes from Sheffield United and he had to shake up more when Scott McTominay was forced off the pitch in the 37th minute with Pogba entering from left midfielder. Arteta changed their pick for the second half, replacing Martinelli with Willian, and his team were more determined on the restart; there was more intensity.
Twice they announced the first goal and twice United had to make decisive interventions. First, Willian appeared at the far post to meet Héctor Bellerín’s cross only for Wan-Bissaka to do a save block, and then he cut Pepe only for Harry Maguire to block.
A goal looked close and United thought they had it when Shaw cut back for Cavani. Incredibly, the striker took a dive from close range, the ball passing in front of Leno’s post. Arsenal returned and, likewise, the best margins were against them. Lacazette’s free-kick had David de Gea beaten to return from the crossbar before Emile Smith Rowe was denied with a net save from the goalkeeper. Grandpa also saw another low wide shot flash.
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