Arteta's Arsenal opened 'box of dreams' for final day title win in front of home support
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta celebrates after the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London. Picture date: Saturday May 4, 2024.
THE Manchester United season post-mortem, and Erik ten Hag’s job prospects, can wait for a few more days at least, as Leandro Trossard’s first half goal clinched the result that all football fans, outside of Manchester, will have longed for.
A draw or win for United could have seen neighbours City clinch the title in their next game, at Tottenham tomorrow (TUES), but yet another forgettable afternoon, in this season of so many for United, ensures the two-horse race goes to the final day, much to the delight, presumably, of neutral fans and Premier League marketeers.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners host Everton on Sunday, at the same time that City take on West Ham at home, and, thanks to this result, nothing will be determined until then.
“We need to do our own thing still in the last game,” said Arteta. “But today, we wanted to knock on that door, open that box of dreams to live the last day of the season in front of our people with the opportunity to win the Premier League.
“That’s something we’re going to live together and I’m so pleased we’re going do it with these players and staff.”
Ten Hag’s job security is equally uncertain at present, despite the Dutchman’s increasingly defiant and desperate pleas for new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to retain his services this summer.
But if this was the perfect opportunity for an injury-depleted United to spring an upset and hand a boost to their manager’s job prospects, it was one they squandered, yet again.
Defeat leaves United in danger of recording an eighth-placed finish, which would be their lowest in 34 years, and Trossard’s goal means ten Hag’s defence has now conceded 82 in all competitions, their worst record since the 1970-71 season.
And, just for good - or, possibly, bad - measure, the loss was United’s ninth home defeat of the campaign in all competitions, tying the worst-ever mark in the club’s history.
“Any manager can do better but also I am two years here and I have one time had a full group of players,” said ten Hag, again leaning on the crutch of injury issues.
“You can't progress a team in certain key areas so many injuries, it's like swimming with your hands on your back and you have to keep your head above the water level, that is what we try to do!
“We are still in a cup final. This is good. But if you want to progress a team you need fit players and you see our opponent today, they had only one not 100% match-fit player and we had so many.”
Still, with Arsenal winning at Old Trafford for just the second time in 17 seasons, United’s catalogue of such wretched failures this season may cost the Dutchman his job, regardless of his excuses.
United had weathered a frenetic start from the Gunners but, ultimately, were undone by chronic defensive mistakes that gifted a 20th minute lead to Trossard.
Andre Onana’s poor clearance was returned by Ben White with Kai Havertz attacking down the right, thanks to Casemiro playing him onside as the veteran jogged slowly upfield.
The Gunners striker reached the by-line and pulled the ball across goal where Trossard, having lost his marker Aaron Wan-Bissaka, reached ahead of Casemiro to force the ball over the line.
It was a goal that demonstrated the weaknesses at the heart of United’s injury-depleted defence and continued the precipitous decline of the 32-year-old Casemiro who has endured a spectacularly bad run of form.
He was not the only one, of course, and ten Hag will yet again point to his club’s debilitating injury list, both current and season-long.
But there had been glimmers of promise from United as they sought the goal that could have done such a huge favour for their cross-city rivals City although Raya was hardly unduly concerned while, at the other end of the field, United were far too easy to play through.
Bukayo Saka came closest to carving out a second goal for his team in the first half, skilfully finding Ben White whose effort flew just off target.
Arsenal looked even more in control in the opening flurries of the season half, with a threatening Declan Rice shot needing to be well blocked and, even when United managed to get out of their half, a difficult afternoon continued for Alejandro Garnacho when he curled a wild effort well wide.
Those occasional United attacks just left them more susceptible on the counter and Trossard launched one such move, that led to Wan-Bissaka falling over, and ended with a Martin Odegaard shot that was well held by Onana.
A rare error by Saka sparked a United attack on 77 minutes which resulted in McTominay finding Garnacho whose left-foot shot whistled into the side-netting but Arsenal instantly responded with sub Gabriel Martinelli’s shot tipped over by Onana.
The United keeper also kept his team in the contest with two fine reflex saves, in quick succession, from a header from his own player Wan-Bissaka and a long-range Rice strike.
But, as the game ended amid a violent thunder and lightning storm and water, quite literally, flowing down the Old Trafford gangways, thanks to leaking roofs, the symbolism was unavoidable. So, too, was the irony of the situation Arsenal will find themselves in tomorrow.
"I am going to be the biggest fan of Tottenham ever! Let’s hope for the best,” said Havertz.
: Onana 7; Wan-Bissaka 6 (Forson 87), Casemiro 4, Evans 6 (Kambwala 75, 5), Dalot 7; Mainoo 7, Ambrabat 6 (Eriksen 87); Diallo 6 (Antony 69, 5), McTominay 7, Garnacho 6; Hojlund 6 (Wheatley 88). Substitutes (not used) Bayindir, Collyer, Amass, Ogunneye.
: Raya 7; White 8, Saliba 7, Gabriel 7, Tomiyasu 6; Odegaard 7, Partey 6, Rice 9; Saka 6 (Jesus 81), Havertz 7, Trossard 7 (Martinelli 65, 7). Substitutes (not used) Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Kiwior, Jorginho, Vieira, Zinchenko.
: P Tierney 7
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