Mikel Arteta | Lego Pep watch

[roonster09]

Well if you're over aggressive against an opponent who will rip you up on the counter then that is naivitety. Unless Arteta is happy to lose football matches of course. If he believes that he can beat teams like us deftly hurling everyone towards attack then he is naive. He's free to come to OT next year ans try. We'll carve you open and take three points again. Probably getting even more possesion than this year given ETHs team will be better formed. That isn't even his style, he did it because he was desperate which is poor judgment.

As for the second bit, what the feck? Calm down, you're not managed by Pep himself. You played Chelsea twice last season. Both times thr away team won. Both times they had around 65 per cent of possession. The season before that they had 55 and 65 per cent of possession against you. Last year in the crucial top four decider Spurs had 58 (granted you got a red) and 56 per cent of the ball and they are not a possesion based team.

Arsenal had 20% and 22% possession vs City and Liverpool last season, not sure if any other club had lower than that.

 

[V.O.]

Dont quite understand the Arteta criticism. ETH had set you up deep and to play on the counter on your own ground. A de-facto admission your not ready to contest the ball with Arsenal.

God bless Arsenal. Trading in moral victories since 2004.

 

[ayushreddevil9]

God bless Arsenal. Trading in moral victories since 2004.

Not even moral victories, its "our squad's average age is below 15" victories these days

 

[Vapor trail]

We split the results last year against Spurs United and Chelsea. Won 3 lost 3. Our record against the top 6 is no better or worse than your own.

I also back Arteta's aggressive approach to each match. Its like golf, sure you can play the safe shot and go for par. Or play the aggressive shot chasing the birdy. The more you practice that birdy shot, the better you get at it and in the long run your score will be better. It wont always come of, against United we went for the birdy but got the bogey. But if there is one thing this Arsenal team is doing, its learning and developing. The core of the squad is so young. It's obvious what Arteta is trying to do.

I still cant believe people don't recognize Arteta's capabilities as a manager. He is a serious manager.

Thats really nothing to boast about, especially in a season where half the dressing room gave up on the manager from the infancy of the season, players leaking information to the press using United as some sort of catalyst is ridiculous. I'm certainly unhappy with the progress United have made the last 5 years but there's finally a manager who shows promise in leading the first 11 to success.

Arteta will be critically judged by what he achieves and thus far he has been poor in this regard. The context of how Arsenal play tactically there's some good developments but let's see how things materialise. I don't think Arteta is as bad as many on this forum say but like yourself your at the end of two extremities if Arteta is defined as a serious manager than so can most managers in the domestic league be descirbed. The only metric to measure a managers success is by winning. Arteta has been fortunate that Arsenal have given him time, if he's at any other top four club he would have been sacked indefinitely. He either rewards the clubs loyalty or disapproves it.

 

[Vapor trail]

I remember they kind of played in a counter attacking fashion the season Arteta took over. Think they won the FA cup that season? Then over the course of 2 years it looked nothing like they are playing right now. Most of these fans wanted Arteta out up after the first 3 games of last season but I guess people have short memories.

This is the issue with Arsenal fans a good majority lack objectivity.

 

[GoonerBear]

This is the issue with Arsenal fans a good majority lack objectivity.

Gooner In Peace is just doing what they usily do, and not living up to the name.
By the same token though, we were criticised on here last season for our set up, our style of play, we struggled to dominate, it wasn't conducive enough for success long term, Arteta cant coach attacking football, our xG is shite etc etc. In the reverse fixture last season, Utd were apparently the better team, yet we somehow fluked a 3-1 victory.

Now, its early in in the season I get, but our style of play and quality has evolved a bit, we are dominating games more, pushing high, trying to pin teams back, creating more chances, scoring more goals, but now none of that matters, because we got hit on the counter in the hardest ground in the country for us to go and get a result in.

You guys won the game, you deserved to win the game, because you took advantage of our weakness and were ruthless. But you nearly always beat us at Old Trafford anyway, even Michael Carrick beat us last season FFS, & Utd performed better that day. It doesn't really define either clubs season.

 

[Buxton]

That game is out of the way now, and we are still top of the league. If you are aiming for top 4 and find yourself 1st and playing good football, then theres a lot to be content about. Home to Everton next while City play Spurs and United go to Palace. The table could look even better by the end of the weekend.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Arsenal have two league wins at OT in 20 years, and one of those was during lockdown with no fans allowed in.

I've lost count of how often we've beaten them in that style over the years, sit back absorb pressure then hit them on the counter. I'm pretty sure too if you look back other than the odd rare one, 8-2, Arsenal fans always claim the moral victory where as we take the 3 points.

It's the same situation over and over. I hope Arsenal continue to make the same mistake every time they come to OT.

 

[SilentWitness]

Will be interesting to see how they bounce back this weekend after the EL game. Last season if they lost they'd then go on to draw/lose their next couple. Wish we weren't playing them next as it's at the Emirates and they will be trying to make a point. We do like to play on the counter though so might help us a bit!

 

[MinGin]

Arsenal have two league wins at OT in 20 years, and one of those was during lockdown with no fans allowed in.

I've lost count of how often we've beaten them in that style over the years, sit back absorb pressure then hit them on the counter. I'm pretty sure too if you look back other than the odd rare one, 8-2, Arsenal fans always claim the moral victory where as we take the 3 points.

It's the same situation over and over. I hope Arsenal continue to make the same mistake every time they come to OT.

Agree, they like to play so call dominant beautiful football, let them play
Our target is to get that 3pts with the most efficiency method.

 

[Judas]

I do find it very hard to praise him when he seems like such a total utter unlikable prick. Genuinely prefer Klopp. There's something about Arteta that is just so perfectly Arsenal, moany, totally unable to look within himself, massive ego, and it's always never his or his teams fault.

 

[roonster09]

Will be interesting to see how they bounce back this weekend after the EL game. Last season if they lost they'd then go on to draw/lose their next couple. Wish we weren't playing them next as it's at the Emirates and they will be trying to make a point. We do like to play on the counter though so might help us a bit!

You will be playing them after Europa league game, they won't have much preparation time and this is where it should hurt the teams playing in Europe and the teams not playing in Europe should make good use of that.

 

[GoonerBear]

Arsenal have two league wins at OT in 20 years, and one of those was during lockdown with no fans allowed in.

I've lost count of how often we've beaten them in that style over the years, sit back absorb pressure then hit them on the counter. I'm pretty sure too if you look back other than the odd rare one, 8-2, Arsenal fans always claim the moral victory where as we take the 3 points.

It's the same situation over and over. I hope Arsenal continue to make the same mistake every time they come to OT.

Almost like home advantage would make a difference at the biggest club in the country? Don't think your record at The Emirates is something to write home about either, a couple of wins post Fergie?

 

[kaku06]

This 3-1 defeat has really disturbed and unsettled Arsenal fans to the extreme like never before. They don’t know what to do, how should they take it and who should they blame for it. Normally after such a defeat they would direct their frustration and anger towards their own manager and rabidly scream “ARTETA OUT” but after a couple of decent signings and their best start to the season in decades after just 5 games, they full on boarded the Arteta train believing they got it all wrong after wanting him out for 2 seasons and that he actually is the second coming of Pep after recording wins against no pre season palace, Fulham, Villa and the likes.

And after seeing their team at the top of table for 4 weeks, they entered this match against united with full bravado and chest thumping declaring Saliba as their Van dijk and Jesus as their Saviour. They not only thought that they are light years ahead of united but also believed they are gonna send a statement to the league after spanking us silly at old Trafford. Collective sanity of this rabid fanbase deserted them and pure delusion took over.

And once again as per usual, Reality smacked them in the face and the old scars of yesteryears resurfaced once more. Flashbacks of counterattacks after counterattacks over the years appeared as soon as they saw Rashford charging Ramsdale and rather than schooling United they were yet again handed a defeat. Already Mentally scarred by the manner of the outcome but this time it was too heavy too loaded too hard to digest which left them vexed and confused as they couldn’t process that how can this best Arsenal team in ages be slapped by a rotten team like this united who was dead and buried 3 weeks back ?

They were naturally seething and so began the inquest to find a target for crucifixion and when they realised that they can’t spill their bile against their manager or torch him this time as they had already declared him as their messiah universally after 5 games so they looked for something else to heal to cling onto. And they did, now they decided to anoint themselves as upholders of front foot football passers, Innovators, dominators and moral victors v united without realising they are playing the same wenger ball, are getting hammered by same Fergie goals and actually are stuck in a loop when it comes to losing v United.

 

[Sunny Jim]

Fair play. You guys won fair and square. Mind you the Arsenal criticism is a bit over the top. We were growing into the game in the second half and Saka's goal was a long time coming, but United's second was completely against the run of play, a massive sucker punch. We were way too aggressive chasing the winner, as soon as we leveled, we should have dropped 10 yards.

Dont quite understand the Arteta criticism. ETH had set you up deep and to play on the counter on your own ground. A de-facto admission your not ready to contest the ball with Arsenal. Thats Arteta's doing, only Liverpool and Man City will seek to challenge us for the ball. All other teams will surrender possession to us home and away. We will therefore get more time on the ball, more touches in the final third increasing the chances of scoring. Saliba and Odegaard also missed sitters inside the box. We did enough to win the game, but the execution just wasn't there, at the front and back.

Arteta wasnt naive, he was too aggressive, and we overreached. We were playing Man United at Old Trafford, not Bournemouth at home. Yet the way we pressed, and the line position would have you think it was Bournemouth at the Emirates. But there was no naivety about Arteta. He is a strongheaded manager with no indecisiveness. He has a very clear vision of how his teams want to play. He wanted to win that match, not settle for the draw, but he wanted ot too much.

We will get on the ball and look to dominate the other team, starting with Everton at home this week. Everton and PIckford wont replicate that performance against Liverpool. We will score at least 3 against Everton this week. Then we will go to Brentford the week after and play the same way & its up to Brentford to cope and deal with it.

Hi mate, i haven't seen your post before but i rate this one. I think your POV on the game is spot on. Re Artreta, IMHO he has been doing much better than anybody expected. Fair fecks.

 

[SilentWitness]

You will be playing them after Europa league game, they won't have much preparation time and this is where it should hurt the teams playing in Europe and the teams not playing in Europe should make good use of that.

I think so but I thought that stat was a myth regarding teams being worse in their next domestic game after a European game?

 

[roonster09]

I think so but I thought that stat was a myth regarding teams being worse in their next domestic game after a European game?

I don't know about the stat, I'm just saying Everton will have one week to prepare for the game, Arsenal will have one day as Friday they won't be training.

 

[romufc]

Fair play. You guys won fair and square. Mind you the Arsenal criticism is a bit over the top. We were growing into the game in the second half and Saka's goal was a long time coming, but United's second was completely against the run of play, a massive sucker punch. We were way too aggressive chasing the winner, as soon as we leveled, we should have dropped 10 yards.

Dont quite understand the Arteta criticism. ETH had set you up deep and to play on the counter on your own ground. A de-facto admission your not ready to contest the ball with Arsenal. Thats Arteta's doing, only Liverpool and Man City will seek to challenge us for the ball. All other teams will surrender possession to us home and away. We will therefore get more time on the ball, more touches in the final third increasing the chances of scoring. Saliba and Odegaard also missed sitters inside the box. We did enough to win the game, but the execution just wasn't there, at the front and back.

Arteta wasnt naive, he was too aggressive, and we overreached. We were playing Man United at Old Trafford, not Bournemouth at home. Yet the way we pressed, and the line position would have you think it was Bournemouth at the Emirates. But there was no naivety about Arteta. He is a strongheaded manager with no indecisiveness. He has a very clear vision of how his teams want to play. He wanted to win that match, not settle for the draw, but he wanted ot too much.

We will get on the ball and look to dominate the other team, starting with Everton at home this week. Everton and PIckford wont replicate that performance against Liverpool. We will score at least 3 against Everton this week. Then we will go to Brentford the week after and play the same way & its up to Brentford to cope and deal with it.

The reason Arteta is getting criticism is because he is 3 years in his job, he should understand strengths and weaknesses.

I think every manager that comes to OT with Bruno and Rashford in the team know that the team is going to play on the counter, its a manager's job to know that.

Yet, they decided to play a high line and let Rashford and the like expose them, that is naivety from a manager who has been in the job for 3 years.

Just because Arsenal had more passes, more touches does not mean they did enough to win the game, you are saying 2 chances, United had chances too, Eriksen, Bruno and 2/3 on the counter late in the game too.

 

[GoonerInPeace]

Arsenal have two league wins at OT in 20 years, and one of those was during lockdown with no fans allowed in.

I've lost count of how often we've beaten them in that style over the years, sit back absorb pressure then hit them on the counter. I'm pretty sure too if you look back other than the odd rare one, 8-2, Arsenal fans always claim the moral victory where as we take the 3 points.

It's the same situation over and over. I hope Arsenal continue to make the same mistake every time they come to OT.

Matches are played against each team home and away, and your record at the Emirates is quite poor. Old Trafford has been a difficult place for most teams. Its off our fixture list now and the next time we play it will be at the Emirates

We seem to be judged on this one game in which the goals came completely against the run of play. There was nothing controlled about that performance. When Saka scored all United fans were fearing the worst. But then one kick and chase moment and the game was upended.

I still prefer we play the highline and high press and look to play in the opponent's half. Because it gives you control of the game, whereas a low block counter attacking game is random leaves the outcome too much to chance.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I don't particularly like him, and agreed with what Keane said about him after the game.

I was impressed by Arsenal though, and I do think they will be right in the mix for top 4 come the end of the season.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Almost like home advantage would make a difference at the biggest club in the country? Don't think your record at The Emirates is something to write home about either, a couple of wins post Fergie?

We don't come away from each defeat at your place claiming the moral victory though as so many of your fans do every year after you lose at Old Trafford.

We've won twice in the league at your place since Fergie yeah, so 2 wins in I think 9 years which isn't very good.

Not as bad as 2 wins in 20 years though.

 

[WeePat]

Fair play. You guys won fair and square. Mind you the Arsenal criticism is a bit over the top. We were growing into the game in the second half and Saka's goal was a long time coming, but United's second was completely against the run of play, a massive sucker punch. We were way too aggressive chasing the winner, as soon as we leveled, we should have dropped 10 yards.

Dont quite understand the Arteta criticism. ETH had set you up deep and to play on the counter on your own ground. A de-facto admission your not ready to contest the ball with Arsenal. Thats Arteta's doing, only Liverpool and Man City will seek to challenge us for the ball. All other teams will surrender possession to us home and away. We will therefore get more time on the ball, more touches in the final third increasing the chances of scoring. Saliba and Odegaard also missed sitters inside the box. We did enough to win the game, but the execution just wasn't there, at the front and back.

Arteta wasnt naive, he was too aggressive, and we overreached. We were playing Man United at Old Trafford, not Bournemouth at home. Yet the way we pressed, and the line position would have you think it was Bournemouth at the Emirates. But there was no naivety about Arteta. He is a strongheaded manager with no indecisiveness. He has a very clear vision of how his teams want to play. He wanted to win that match, not settle for the draw, but he wanted ot too much.

We will get on the ball and look to dominate the other team, starting with Everton at home this week. Everton and PIckford wont replicate that performance against Liverpool. We will score at least 3 against Everton this week. Then we will go to Brentford the week after and play the same way & its up to Brentford to cope and deal with it.

Bolded part translated.

“Arteta wasn’t being naive. He just did something that was naive”

 

[cyberman]

Matches are played against each team home and away, and your record at the Emirates is quite poor. Old Trafford has been a difficult place for most teams. Its off our fixture list now and the next time we play it will be at the Emirates

We seem to be judged on this one game in which the goals came completely against the run of play. There was nothing controlled about that performance. When Saka scored all United fans were fearing the worst. But then one kick and chase moment and the game was upended.

I still prefer we play the highline and high press and look to play in the opponent's half. Because it gives you control of the game, whereas a low block counter attacking game is random leaves the outcome too much to chance.

United weren’t in Control, we had the ball.

Arsenal doesn’t trouble DDG, goal comes from a Utd mistake

Utd score 3 goals that had our player 1v1 with your keeper, Bruno misses another 1v1.

Arsenal complain that United took advantage of the space they left behind while operating a poor counter press.

United weren’t in control…

 

[GoonerBear]

We don't come away from each defeat at your place claiming the moral victory though as so many of your fans do every year after you lose at Old Trafford.

You did the last game. You certainly let us know that despite being at your lowest ebb you felt you were the better team on the day. And yet many are having a go at the Arsenal fans for the exact same things.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Bolded part translated.

“Arteta wasn’t being naive. He just did something that was naive”

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

You did the last game. You certainly let us know that despite being at your lowest ebb you were the better team on the day. And yet many are having a go at the Arsenal fans for the exact same things.

You do it every game you lose to Utd though.

Other than ones like the 8-2 or 6-1 and even then I wouldn't be surprised if some of you did.

 

[Donaldo]

Will be interesting to see how they bounce back this weekend after the EL game. Last season if they lost they'd then go on to draw/lose their next couple. Wish we weren't playing them next as it's at the Emirates and they will be trying to make a point. We do like to play on the counter though so might help us a bit!

Potential banana skin for sure. Oh how I'd hate to lose to Lampard.

I can see some tensions pitchside for sure.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

I’ve never known a crybaby club quite like Arsenal.

I can only remember once in my 25+ years of supporting United when we’ve beat Arsenal and they’ve just accepted they were fairly beaten.

Around that time United had Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and blitzed them. They even complained about the 8-2

 

[GoonerBear]

You do it every game you lose to Utd though.

Other than ones like the 8-2 or 6-1 and even then I wouldn't be surprised if some of you did.

I’ve never known a crybaby club quite like Arsenal.

I can only remember once in my 25+ years of supporting United when we’ve beat Arsenal and they’ve just accepted they were fairly beaten.

Around that time United had Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and blitzed them. They even complained about the 8-2

Think many on here have said you won, you deserved to win, because you set up and took advantage of our weaknesses, and were ruthless when you got the chances.

All most are saying is that we played quite well, but ultimately its still not good enough.

It was as if Arteta and Arsenal wanted to come out and make a statement, show that they can play the way they want to now, impose our game and come away with the result.

To me, an equally strong statement would be that we can show we can come to these places and be compact, solid, and difficult to play through first and foremost. It's all well and good ideally hoping to play like City in these games, but we don't have a De Bruyne or a Bernardo Silva yet that both create and are ruthless when they get a chance. That's the level we need to try and get to play like that in these games.

Until then, be a bit more conservative, can always open up more as the game goes on. That's a frustration I have.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

What are you talking about? Saliba and Odegaard missed sitters. We had a goal chalked off. DDG had a great save to deny a Martinelli header.

The irony us you beat us and Liverpool more convincingly that you did Southampton and Leicester City. The problem here is most teams you play will sit back and look to play on the counter. What happens when United need to get on the ball and get players forward? Crystal Palace away will be a tough game. They sit deep and attack on the counter. Eventually ETH will need to evolve beyond a low block counter attacking game. We say what happened at Brentford when you tried to play out the back and play a more adventurous game. You will have to face these demons again. Your defenders will eventually have to play a higher line. Because getting into arm wrestles looking for 1-0 wins is not viable over the long run.

You actually think ETH/United deliberately set out to defend deep and counter? Did you miss the first 15 minutes? Were you not watching the game when we opened the scoring?

It’s amazing to me how so many fans/pundits made such a bad analysis of what happened. United dominated the ball and territory for the first 15 minutes. Then Arsenal got on top. Then United scored, with a goal that involved 18 passes and every United player touching the ball. The next two United goals came from United taking advantage of Arsenal's extremely high line/shambolic defensive organisation. Helped by some poor substitutions from Arteta and a very astute reshuffle by Ten Haag. The notion that this was 90 minutes of United defending with a low block, hoping to nick a goal on the counter is so dumb it's genuinely laughable.

 

[GoonerBear]

These games don't define our season anyway. We know the pattern. We lose to Liverpool & City. We win 1 game and lose 1 game vs Spurs, Utd & Chelsea, so they cancel each other out.

What will define the season for the clubs chasing top 4 is how consistent they are at dealing with the rest of the clubs. The Newcastle's, the Brighton's, the Crystal Palaces's, the Everton's, the Brentford's etc. All places we failed to win at, in fact usually got beat at.

Whoever deals with those games best will make top 4.

 

[romufc]

What are you talking about? Saliba and Odegaard missed sitters. We had a goal chalked off. DDG had a great save to deny a Martinelli header.

The irony us you beat us and Liverpool more convincingly that you did Southampton and Leicester City. The problem here is most teams you play will sit back and look to play on the counter. What happens when United need to get on the ball and get players forward? Crystal Palace away will be a tough game. They sit deep and attack on the counter. Eventually ETH will need to evolve beyond a low block counter attacking game. We say what happened at Brentford when you tried to play out the back and play a more adventurous game. You will have to face these demons again. Your defenders will eventually have to play a higher line. Because getting into arm wrestles looking for 1-0 wins is not viable over the long run.

Yes, you had a goal chalked of because of a foul. Its like having a player goal hand pump it to him and he scores but its offside, are you going to cry about that?

Oh yes, missed sitters but so did Bruno and Eriksen, later in the game we had 2/3 other counter attacking chances to make it 4/5.

Also, it is clear that you did not watch the game, the first goal was not a counter attack goal, Arsenal were sat back, please go watch the game and the goals before you make remarks.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

I do find it very hard to praise him when he seems like such a total utter unlikable prick. Genuinely prefer Klopp. There's something about Arteta that is just so perfectly Arsenal, moany, totally unable to look within himself, massive ego, and it's always never his or his teams fault.

Great to hear Keano calling him out

 

[flameinthesun]

Has them playing very well and thw signings of Jesus and Zinchenko was very shrewd. The resemblence to a pep team is there and is probably what Arteta is working towards. With a few more right signings they can be a regular top 4 team. Id feel positive if I was an arsenal fan.

 

[GoonerBear]

Also, it is clear that you did not watch the game, the first goal was not a counter attack goal, Arsenal were sat back, please go watch the game and the goals before you make remarks.

First goal and the second goal just showed the sheer naivety of Lokonga. First goal he was chasing Eriksen I think it was deep into his own half, creating a massive space where he should be for Bruno to run into causing Gabriel to come out and challenge rashly which then caused Zinchenko to tuck in too much.

The second goal he gives a loose pass and he's left wing, again creating a massive hole in the middle of the park that he should be filling.

Lads not a 6 unfortunately and we paid the price for that.

 

[Mike Smalling]

Arsenal have two league wins at OT in 20 years, and one of those was during lockdown with no fans allowed in.

I've lost count of how often we've beaten them in that style over the years, sit back absorb pressure then hit them on the counter. I'm pretty sure too if you look back other than the odd rare one, 8-2, Arsenal fans always claim the moral victory where as we take the 3 points.

It's the same situation over and over. I hope Arsenal continue to make the same mistake every time they come to OT.

The number of 3-1 victories with counter-attacking goals is a story in itself.

08/09 Season | Champions League SF (A) | Arsenal 1-3 United (Park, Ronaldo 2x)
09/10 Season | Premier League (A) | Arsenal 1-3 United (o.g., Rooney, Park)
17/18 Season | Premier League (A) | Arsenal 1-3 United (Valencia, Lingard 2x)
18/19 Season | FA Cup (A) | Arsenal 1-3 United (Sanchez, Lingard, Martial)
22/23 Season | Premier League (H) | United 3-1 Arsenal (Antony, Rashford 2x)

 

[Loon]

Ahh, the familiar disingenuous whinges of “We were the better team” echo throughout long trophyless summers while we wait eagerly for another “Champions Again” DVD to be released.

The Lidl Catalans mentality is back again, but sadly, for both of us, the 90s/00s are dim and distant memory.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

First goal and the second goal just showed the sheer naivety of Lokonga. First goal he was chasing Eriksen I think it was deep into his own half, creating a massive space where he should be for Bruno to run into causing Gabriel to come out and challenge rashly which then caused Zinchenko to tuck in too much.

The second goal he gives a loose pass and he's left wing, again creating a massive hole in the middle of the park that he should be filling.

Lads not a 6 unfortunately and we paid the price for that.

Literally the managers job to compensate for such weaknesses.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Literally the managers job to compensate for such weaknesses.

If only Arteta had a left back in the matchday squad who could have allowed Zinchenko play in midfield instead of Lokonga. Oh wait…

 

[GoonerBear]

Literally the managers job to compensate for such weaknesses.

Of course it is, I didn't say otherwise, in fact in my previous post, I said I'd rather we set up to be more solid first instead of trying to play as high as we have been. We don't have the nous yet, or the quality that City have, to play like that at Old Trafford yet.

If only Arteta had a left back in the matchday squad who could have allowed Zinchenko play in midfield instead of Lokonga. Oh wait…

Yep, maybe he thought having Zinchenko inverted would give us better control of the ball. Perhaps having Zinchenko in there as the 6 would have worked better, we'll never know now. It's all if's and but's anyway now.