Man United freshmen show Arsenal up
Manager Louis van Gaal won their hearts when he theatrically threw himself to the floor while complaining about the officiating — but the interesting narrative of this game revolved around Arsenal.
Searching their first league title in a dozen years, and without a league win at Old Trafford in 10, Arsenal squandered an ideal opportunity to close the five-point gap held at the top of the Premier League by surprise leaders Leicester.
And, for all Rashford’s boy’s own heroics, for all United’s mental and physical strength and youthful exuberance, this game was more about lost opportunity than a bright new era for van Gaal and his currently under-strength United.
“We have lost three points,” said Wenger, stating the obvious in an attempt to minimise the psychological damage the defeat must have had upon his side.
“You have to show you are up for the fight and give absolutely everything in our next game. Things can change quickly, but only if you keep going, keep believing. We are in a fight where we can show we have great character, great mentality and respond on Wednesday (against Swansea). That’s what we have to do.”
Rashford, scorer of two goals on his midweek debut against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, doubled his career tally within the first 32 minutes of his Premier League debut.
After 29 minutes, Ander Herrera started the move with a telling tackle on Theo Walcott, sparking a counter -attack which ended with Guillermo Varela crossing from the right and Gabriel hacking a poor clearance directly to Rashford.
The teenager did the rest with a composed finish from a dozen yards, the first shot of his Premier League career resulting in his first goal.
Arsenal’s poor defending was badly exposed in that attack and worse was to follow from the next serious foray into their territory with Varela again influential, making an important header that kept the ball in play.
Jesse Lingard received the pass and picked out Rashford, who had again slipped his marker Gabriel, and the youngster planted a perfect header past the diving Cech.
Wenger looked stunned on the Arsenal bench, and well he might. Given the injury list currently being endured by yesterday’s hosts, he must surely have hoped — if not expected — his team to end their futile run at this ground, especially as one week ago numerous pundits thought this might be the last week of van Gaal’s reign at United.
Victories at Shrewsbury in the FA Cup and against Midtjylland had certainly eased the pressure on the Dutch manager, for the time being at least, but given the inexperience of this unfamiliar United line-up, surely Wenger had the right to expect more from his players.
I don’t know,” said Wenger when asked to rank this defeat among his Old Trafford disappointments. “Let’s not go overboard. They had still a few millions on the pitch from De Gea to the midfield. They spent a lot on Depay, he is not a player from the academy. The player who was surprising for me talent wise was Rashford, the timing and intelligence of his movement was great. He could be a very positive surprise for Man United.”
Arsenal played their part in an absorbing clash, pulling a goal back before the interval when a free-kick from Mesut Ozil found the head of former United forward Danny Welbeck for a header which left David de Gea well beaten.
United looked to have put the outcome beyond doubt after 64 minutes when Rashford showed superb hold-up skills in taking a Juan Mata pass and laying it into the path of Ander Herrera whose shot deflected in off Laurent Koscielny. But again, Arsenal responded quickly and five minutes later Ozil drilled home a shot from 15 yards after de Gea had saved well from Welbeck’s six-yard shot.
Predictably, nerves and tempers frayed in the remaining exchanges and there was the bizarre sight, after 75 minutes, of van Gaal throwing himself to the ground in the technical area - where he has only been sighted three times in two seasons - to complain to the fourth official about what he believed was diving by Arsenal players.
Marcus Rashford has impressed so far. Here's his first goal for #mufc's Under-21s, against Leicester in December. https://t.co/iDyLOSrbAw
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 25, 2016
“It was the emotion,” said van Gaal. “I don’t let myself go too much, not during the match, I’m always sitting on my bench. But today my emotion was a little bit too high. So I have apologised to the referee, to the linesman, to the fourth official. Everything is already solved. I don’t regret it, never, because it is emotion and I think in sport it’s good to show your emotions sometimes - not always.”
Wenger, in contrast, was doing a much better job of keeping his emotions in check, not only with regard to his team’s floundering title hopes but also the antics of his opposite number.
“Look, you will have to ask him the question,” said Wenger. “I don’t want to comment because you will say I am a bitter loser.”
De Gea 6; Varela 7, Carrick 6, Blind 6, Rojo 5 (Fosu-Mensah 55, 7); Schneiderlin 6, Herrera 8 (Weir 90); Lingard 6, Mata 7, Memphis 7; Rashford 9 (Januzaj 80, 6).
Romero, McNair, A Pereira, Riley.
Cech 6; Bellerin 6, Gabriel 4, Koscielny 5, Monreal 5; Ramsey 5, Coquelin 6 (Elneny 70, 6); W lcott 5 (Giroud 62, 6), Ozil 7, Sanchez 5; Welbeck 8 (Iwobi 82).
Gibbs, Mertesacker, Ospina, Campbell.
C Pawson 7
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