Comment: Drab Old Trafford draw a pale shadow of old wars between Manchester United and Arsenal

DRAB DRAW: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (left) and Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim during the Premier League match at Old Trafford. Pic: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Should this uninspiring draw have been a surprise. Was Man United v Arsenal little more than an end of season canter? 

Preparation for Old Trafford included some quality time with three-time Arsenal Premier League title winner Nigel Winterburn.

The former left back played 37 matches against United in his 584 Arsenal appearances, perhaps most famously in the 1990 Old Trafford win that featured a 21-man brawl sparked by his robust challenge on fellow fullback Denis Irwin.

Arsenal were docked two points, United one and Winterburn ended the season with a league winners’ medal having lost only one match all season. 

So when he advised me this latest encounter between the once fierce rivals would lack any real edge, I hoped he would be wrong, perhaps guilty of living in the past.

But, bar a couple of quality goals and late goalmouth scrambles, how right he was. So little edge, so lacking in fight, so scarce in incident too.

We kicked off with Arsenal already out of the title race, while United languished in 15th spot, seemingly doomed to their lowest finish since they were relegated in 1974.

A good point for United, then, but an even better result for league leaders Liverpool who ended the weekend further ahead at the top.

Long gone is the competitive edge engendered by former United boss Alex Ferguson, who led his men into matches against George Graham and then Arsene Wenger as if his and their lives depended on it.

Over the top at times, for sure, but better entertainment and better quality than this latest version of the old rivalry match-up that had more of an end of season or testimonial vibe to it than when this fixture really meant something in terms of pride and trophies.

Manchester United coach Rubin Amorim and his players were cheered off after he took charge of his 17th league match, desperately relieved he had avoided a ninth defeat since his first at the end of November. It is a win rate of around 30%, the lowest in United history.

Compare that to the 78% success rate he left behind at his previous club Sporting, in Portugal’s sunny Lisbon and it shows what a struggle the young coach has had in adapting to his new role. 

He said beforehand that this match meant everything to him, but it rang hollow when mindful they have the second leg of their Europa League tie at home to Real Sociedad this Thursday night. They need to progress if their season is to stay alive. How the mighty fall.

Mikel Arteta naturally talked up his side’s competitive position going into his 200th league game in charge. And rightly so for he has transformed the club in his five years since replacing the misfiring Unai Emery in December 2019.

The Catalan coach has raised standards and expectations in equal measure. His ‘success’ is such that this season, one in which they have faced unprecedented injury problems to key players, has been deemed sub-standard despite being as good as through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and being the only team that has formed any sort of title challenge to Liverpool.

That said, this match once again showed how lacking his side are going forward without any of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus or Bukayo Saka available to long-term injuries. At least we saw a glimpse of Gabriel Martinelli for the first time in a month and even then the Brazil winger missed a late sitter, with the offside flag sparing his blushess.

Of course they need a striker, but these are the same players who broke the club’s all-time goalscoring record last season. Baffling, or blindingly obvious?

Like so many times before this season, they passed the ball in and around the opposition without creating and taking clearcut chances.

So frustrating for Arsenal supporters to watch their attack being led by a big midfielder in Mikel Merino so clearly out of position and after two transfer windows without signing a forward. Not that he was to blame for their lack of cutting edge.

How PSV Eindhoven must have wished they had sat back and defended rather than concede seven to this ‘toothless’ attack in midweek. For most football followers now know even substandard sides, such as this current United one, can always stand a chance against Arsenal if they can dig in and survive and take their opportunites, as Bruno Fernandes did with their first-half free kick.

Ultimately a fair result, but it is time we lowered our expectations for intense, blood and thunder encounters when these two proud clubs go toe-to-toe.