'More clever than us' - Arteta refuses to concede title despite draw with street-smart United

Declan Rice equalised to rescue a point for the Gunners

MIND GAME: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the final whistle in the Premier League match at Old Trafford.

MIKEL Arteta refused to concede the league title race but did admit that Bruno Fernandes handed his faltering Arsenal players a lesson in “street smart” football in a game rescued by Declan Rice’s second-half equaliser.

It was that kind of bizarre afternoon at Old Trafford as Fernandes’s superb free-kick left dominant Arsenal chasing the game and, ultimately, 15 points behind leaders and champions elect Liverpool.

Arteta was in no mood to admit defeat after the game and actually stormed out of a Sky TV interview when asked if he was ready to wave the white flag.

“I don't want to say that the title is over,” said Arteta later. “But today the frustration is that we haven't won our game, we know the urgency and you're obligated to win every single match.

“You won't have any chance of doing that, I don't think it's the right moment to talk about that.” 

But, as for Bruno, Arteta was far more forthcoming after the United star continued his brilliant form with a goal in first half injury-time after Leandro Trossard needlessly tripping Alejandro Garnacho from behind, earning a booking and conceding a free-kick.

It was 20 yards out - prime Fernandes territory - and the fact no other United player stood over the ball, apart from the United skipper, gave away the worst kept secret that the Portuguese star would take the kick himself.

And what a strike. The ball beat the wall and the diving David Raya although TV replays showed that referee Anthony Taylor had forced the wall back to over 11 yards, instead of the necessary 10.

“They just mentioned that if Bruno has done that, football is for street smart players,” said Arteta.

“If he’s done that and capitalised on that, he is more clever than us and the referee. He’s done it, it was a goal. He took advantage of that, Football is for clever people.” For United manager Ruben Amorim, the performance and goal by Fernandes raised the question of where his struggling team would be without his countryman, the feisty Portuguese who may not be everyone’s cup of tea but is vital to United’s squad.

After a decade or more of endless transfer market disasters, Fernandes represents the only unqualified success of the post Sir Alex Ferguson era and Amorim wants more of the same.

“Any coach when he wants to bring in players expects the best,” said Amorim. “Sometimes they have to adapt, and sometimes you have luck with the character of the player, even with all the investigation coaches do before signing players.

“What I can say is that we need more Brunos, that’s clear. Not just the quality but the character he has, and the availability in this league is so important. And he is so decisive with the ball and without the ball.” 

It was a depressingly familiar story for the travelling fans who have seen their season unravel due to the injury absences of goalscorers Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus, but at least their response after the restart suggested they were still capable of rescuing the game, with Odegaard’s long shot tipped over by Andre Onana and Rice volleying the resulting corner over.

The added urgency left Arsenal susceptible on the break, however, and Raya made up for his error for the goal with a superb, one-footed save to divert Noussair Mazraoui’s first-time strike from a Diogo Dalot cross on the break.

There was also an audacious attempt from Joshua Zirkzee, back-heeling Garnacho’s deflected cross and forcing Raya into another good stop.

But Arsenal soon started to dominate the ball again, Trossard shooting wide and Odegaard planting a free-kick straight into the United wall from a similar position to the Fernandes goal.

And, on 74 minutes, the visitors made their possession count with an equaliser that finally found United’s defence lacking as Jurrien Timber broke into the area from the right and spotted Rice in space. The ball picked out the Arsenal midfielder who stroked in a perfect finish from just inside the area.

Both teams went for the win, Gabriel Martinelli forcing a good save out of Onana and Garnacho shooting inches over before Onana pushed Odegaard’s injury-time shot straight to Martinelli, who blazed over from an offside position.

The drama was not over. In the fourth minute of added time, Raya made a superb save from Fernandes’s 12-yard shot and somehow managed to recover to scoop the ricochet off his goalline.

“Today, the efficiency we've had in the last 20 metres, it wasn't good enough,” said Arteta. “In the end you have to capitalise on that when the team is so dominant and much better than the opposition and the game could have gone the other way in the last few minutes.” 

Manchester United (3-4-2-1): Onana 5; de Ligt 7, Lindelof 7, Yoro 6 (Heaven 46, 6); Mazraoui 7, Casemiro 6, Fernandes 8, Dalot 6; Garnacho 7, Eriksen 6 (Collyer 76, 5); Zirkzee 7 (Hojlund 76, 5). Substitutes (not used) Amass, Fletcher, Harrison, Mee, Moorhouse, Obi.

Arsenal (4–2-1-3): Raya 6; Timber 7, Saliba 6, Gabriel 7, Calafiori 6 (Lewis-Skelly 58, 6); Partey 6 (Tierney 76, 5), Rice 7; Odegaard 8; Nwaneri 5 (Martinelli 58 5), Merino 6, Trossard 5. Substitutes (not used) Jorginho, Kiwior, Neto, Sterling, Tierney, White, Zinchenko.

Referee: A Taylor 7 Ends