Manchester United manager struggles with reality after Arsenal win
Meanwhile, United boss Erik ten Hag’s post-match bemoaning couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Pre-match build-up: Tomiyasu and Gabriel return to raise Arsenal
Arsenal welcomed back Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Magalhes to their starting XI ahead of the match.
Eddie Nketiah, fresh from his England senior call-up, was also given a starting spot.
Manchester United started Victor Lindelof in place of Raphael Varane, while Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho were also absent.
Thomas Partey was also ruled out owing to a groin ailment.
Arsenal’s quick response came 35 seconds later, when Martin degaard scored.
With Anthony Taylor in the midfield and Jarred Gillett on VAR for his third Arsenal match of the season, the game was fraught with challenged decisions.
Taylor overruled an Arsenal penalty after Gillett urged a review, and Bukayo Saka was penalized after being fouled himself.
While Manchester United appeared to profit from some questionable rulings, their manager’s post-match comments to Sky Sports that “everything went against us” were perplexing to say the least.
His views were based on an offside goal and a penalty he imagined late in the second half.
Declan Rice’s late-minute delayed shot appeared almost predestined with the clock trickling down, a methodical strike that eventually deflected off United’s Jonny Evans, making his first appearance for the Red Devils since 2015.
The Emirates roared again as Gabriel Jesus placed the final nail in Arsenal’s coffin, making the score 3-1.
