MANCHESTER: Mikel Arteta’s 200th Premier League game was not one to savour for the Spaniard as any lingering hope of a title challenge was extinguished at Old Trafford.
Arsenal boss Arteta was visibly agitated after his team could only salvage a 1-1 draw with United on Sunday and now sit 15 points adrift of Liverpool.
Arteta, who stomped away from a post-game television interview, rued the fact that Declan Rice’s second-half strike was their only goal against a struggling United side that are languishing in 14th place in the table.
“Very frustrating we haven’t won with the dominance and the chances we had in the first half. We gave the ball away out of nothing. Gave a foul away. We had them in the second half, you could feel they were really fatigued,” Arteta said.
“It was the threat in the final 25 metres to make something happen. They didn’t want to play. You come here and you want to win the game. Today, it is frustration.”
United captain Bruno Fernandes put the hosts ahead with a superb free-kick in first half stoppage-time.
Rice’s clinical finish from just inside the United area hauled Arsenal level in the 74th minute but Mikel Arteta’s second-placed side couldn’t find a winner.
Arsenal have not won their last three league games, amid a run of just four wins in their last nine league games since New Year’s Day.
The loss of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli to injury has played a massive part in Arsenal’s demise.
Finishing second to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City juggernaut in the last two seasons was supposed to be the building block towards title glory.
Yet, even in an off year for the defending champions, Arsenal have proven unable to capitalise.
Published in Dawn, March 11th, 2025
