da lvbet： Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United in Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff won’t be remembered as a classic.
da prosport bet： Indeed, English football’s historic juggernauts have partaken in countless blockbusters down the years but the Old Trafford clash this weekend didn’t quite deliver.
After a complete stalemate of a first half, in which both sides failed to produce anything of note in the final third, the Red Devils finally broke the deadlock through Juan Mata – who netted a fine strike after 69 minutes.
The goal ensured Arsenal’s dismal run at Old Trafford, failing to win there in over a decade, continued, but the Gunners came away with a vital point as substitute Olivier Giroud bagged a last-minute equaliser.
So not the most enthralling of matches or the most inspiring of results. Nonetheless, in the context of Arsenal’s Premier League title bid, that could prove to be a crucial point.
We take a look at three ways Arsenal’s underwhelming performance against United inadvertently proved they should be seen as the favourites in this season’s title race.
Proof they have a Plan B
For far too long, Arsene Wenger has been rightly accused of lacking a Plan B. Sure, when everything’s going Arsenal’s way, they play phenomenal football and usually net a couple of fantastic goals in the process. But when luck’s not on their side and the pass-the-opposition-to-death philosophy isn’t working, the Gunners have a knack of coming unstuck, getting very frustrated and eventually succumbing to a disappointing result.
But an inspired substitution from Arsene Wenger proved he’s willing to take risks and be adaptable. After Alexis Sanchez toiled in the central striking role without much to show for it, Wenger brought on Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman offered a different kind of threat from the Chilean, whose game is centred almost exclusively around ground play, and popped up in the box with an equalising header.
It showed the options Wenger now has within his squad, particularly in attack, and suggested the largely one-dimensional Arsenal we’ve become accustomed to is now a thing of the past. With Mauricio Pochettino, Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp seemingly determined to stick to their laurels, Arsenal’s new-found adaptability could be pivotal in the title race.
Defensively resolute
We all know about Arsenal’s attacking quality but a lack of organisation at the back has cost them dearly in recent seasons. Indeed, it was once common for the Gunners to blow away lesser opposition in the Premier League but find themselves on the end of multi-goal hidings at the hands of the division’s big boys, in no small part due to Wenger seemingly placing no emphasis on defensive structure.
But there has been a move towards more balanced play in recent years and that was particularly evident at Old Trafford. Manchester United were by no means a sweeping attacking force and some poor finishing let them down in certain instances, but Arsenal deserve credit for sticking to their structure and conceding just one goal against a talented side away from home.
Many will credit that to the presence of summer signing Shkodran Mustafi, who’s quickly proving a really sturdy influence alongside Laurent Koscielny. But Francis Coquelin’s performance deserves due praise, recording six tackles, two interceptions and three clearances.
It shows Arsenal do have the personnel and framework to fall back on when the attacking performances aren’t forthcoming – a vital asset in any title race.
A decent result from a bad performance
Make no mistake about it, considering the status of both sides before Saturday’s meet, it has to go down as a poor performance on Arsenal’s part. Whilst they managed to hold on defensively and finished up with more possession, Manchester United were far more threatening and managed to control the flow of match without the ball. Once again, some lacklustre shooting prevented the Red Devils from creating a comfortable winning margin.
But the old adage of titles being decided by results when you’re not playing well certainly comes to mind. Football FanCast aren’t convinced the Arsenal of last season would have come away with a point from the same kind of game and the majority of Gunners fans probably aren’t either.
That shows a distinct change in the squad’s mentality and a willingness to persevere even when things aren’t going well. And once again, grinding out points from unspectacular performances has been a telling characteristic of Premier League title winners throughout the years.