Arsenal’s Title Hopes Fade Further After Draw At Old Trafford.
Mikel Arteta’s 200th Premier League game as Arsenal manager ended in disappointment, as the Gunners could only manage a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. The result all but extinguishes their slim hopes of challenging for the title, leaving them trailing league leaders Liverpool by 15 points.
Despite dominating possession with 68.2%, Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances against a United side low on confidence. Bruno Fernandes opened the scoring for the hosts with a trademark free-kick in first-half stoppage time, before Declan Rice equalised in the 74th minute with a well-taken strike.
Lack of Firepower Proves Costly
Arsenal’s recent struggles in front of goal were once again evident, as their failure to sign a recognised striker in the transfer window continued to haunt them. Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz further compounded their attacking woes, while Bukayo Saka’s absence left a noticeable void in their attacking play.
In a surprising tactical move, Arteta turned to full-back Kieran Tierney—who is set to leave for Celtic at the end of the season—rather than calling on forward Raheem Sterling, a last-minute loan signing from Chelsea. Sterling has failed to make an impact since arriving at the Emirates, and his struggles highlight Arsenal’s misjudged approach to squad reinforcement.
The decision to deploy midfielder Mikel Merino as an emergency striker also underlined the lack of attacking depth in the squad. Arsenal’s inability to find a decisive goal ultimately cost them, reinforcing the notion that they are still lacking the clinical edge required to compete at the highest level.
Arteta Acknowledges Missed Opportunity
Reflecting on the result, Arteta admitted his side’s inefficiency in front of goal had proved costly.
“The efficiency we had in the last 20 metres wasn’t good enough. We know that,” he said. “To come to Old Trafford and do what we did is superb, but you have to capitalise, and we didn’t. We then had to try to overturn the result after going behind, and you know how difficult that is here.”
Arsenal had 48 hours more to prepare for the match than Manchester United, who had been involved in a Europa League clash against Real Sociedad on Thursday. However, despite this advantage and a morale-boosting 7-1 victory over PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last-16 first leg earlier in the week, the Gunners failed to make their dominance count.
With the title slipping further out of reach, Arteta now faces the challenge of reigniting Arsenal’s campaign and ensuring they do not lose momentum in the battle for a top-four finish.