Missed opportunity as trophy pressure grows on Arteta

Mikel Arteta's 200th Premier League crippled arsenic Arsenal manager was not truthful overmuch a solemnisation arsenic a aftermath for different rubric situation that fell short.

Arsenal's astir men produced different astir show successful the 1-1 gully astatine Manchester United, a show that was truthful overmuch of their play successful microcosm, leaving them needing binoculars to spot Liverpool, who pb the array by 15 points.

The Gunners weaved beauteous patterns astir Old Trafford with their 68.2% possession, but hardly landed a superior stroke connected a United broadside abbreviated connected prime and shorn of assurance until Declan Rice's crisp 74th-minute onslaught levelled Bruno Fernandes' trademark free-kick successful first-half stoppage time.

Arsenal person been fading for weeks, the nonaccomplishment to motion a recognised striker exposed arsenic a flawed strategy, with injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz compounding the lack of cardinal fig Bukayo Saka.

And their failed transportation argumentation came into crisp alleviation astatine Old Trafford when, with Arteta's broadside needing a winning extremity to support adjacent their wafer-thin rubric chances alive, helium turned to full-back Kieran Tierney, who is leaving for Celtic astatine the extremity of the season, alternatively than guardant Raheem Sterling.

Sterling was a last-minute signing successful the summertime transportation model connected indebtedness from Chelsea, but has been incapable to marque immoderate impact.

It appeared to beryllium an Arteta vanity task arsenic helium believed helium could revive a vocation that had travel to a dormant halt astatine Stamford Bridge, wherever Sterling was marginalised by manager Enzo Maresca, contempt moving with him during much palmy times astatine Manchester City.

If impervious of the deal's nonaccomplishment was needed, this was it. It was a atrocious acceptable erstwhile Arsenal desperately needed a goalscorer.

The show of midfielder Mikel Merino labouring arsenic an exigency striker to nary effect emphasised however Arsenal had near that cardinal presumption to the fates and lost.

Arteta admitted arsenic overmuch arsenic helium said: "The ratio we had successful the past 20 metres wasn't bully enough. We cognize that.

"To travel to Old Trafford and bash what we did is superb, but you person to capitalise and we didn't. We past had to effort to overturn the effect aft going down and you cognize however hard that is here."

This does not instrumentality into relationship Arsenal had 48 hours much to hole for this crippled than Manchester United, who played distant to Real Sociedad successful the Europa League connected Thursday, and person wounded problems of their own.

Arsenal, who won 7-1 astatine PSV successful their Champions League last-16 archetypal limb necktie connected Tuesday, had these factors successful their favour but were inactive not bully capable to currency in.

Arteta, by astir measures, has improved Arsenal and been successful. The lone gauge that matters astatine a nine of their stature, though, is the tangible occurrence of trophies and helium inactive lone has their 2020 FA Cup occurrence to amusement for his progress.

This is not to suggest the Spaniard has been a failure. Far from it.

Arteta, understandably, retains the implicit religion of the Arsenal hierarchy arsenic helium has moved them successful the close direction. And it is expected helium volition soon beryllium moving with a caller sporting manager successful Andrea Berta, who is to win Edu aft the Italian near the aforesaid presumption with Atletico Madrid successful January.

In his archetypal 200 matches, Arteta has 119 wins, the 5th highest tally of immoderate manager successful that magnitude of Premier League games.

And since his assignment successful succession to Unai Emery successful 2019, lone Pep Guardiola, his mentor astatine Manchester City erstwhile helium was adjunct manager there, has much victories and points successful the Premier League.

Arteta besides has 8 much wins than Arsene Wenger achieved erstwhile helium deed the people of 200 top-flight matches.

Arsenal tin besides see themselves unrecorded contenders for the Champions League, with a quarter-final spot virtually assured aft their spectacular distant triumph astatine PSV.

It does mean, however, the unit is expanding connected Arteta to present a trophy that has eluded him for 5 years – if not this season, past surely next.

Arsenal indispensable see this season's rubric contention a missed accidental aft moving Manchester City adjacent successful the past 2 campaigns - lone to stumble adjacent the finishing line. City's unforeseen illness opened the doorway to their rivals, but it is Arne Slot's Liverpool who person stepped done it, portion the Gunners faltered erstwhile more.

Liverpool's relentless march has seen them easiness distant from Arsenal, who person fallen distant to specified an grade that adjacent the subdued reception from players and supporters successful a country of Old Trafford aft the last whistle carried a resigned air.

They cognize the crippled is up.

While it is efficaciously meaningless successful the wider rubric context, it could person been adjacent worse for Arsenal.

Goalkeeper David Raya was culpable for Fernandes' opener, positioning himself excessively acold to his right, allowing the Portuguese midfielder to amusement his expertise by planting the free-kick perfectly arsenic the Spaniard scrambled distant successful vain to his left.

Raya, however, made amends with 2 superb second-half saves from Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee, earlier a miraculous infinitesimal successful the dying seconds. Having archetypal blocked a changeable from Fernandes, Raya someway regained his presumption to claw the shot distant from close connected the enactment arsenic a melodramatic precocious United victor looked certain.

In between, it took a magnificent redeeming tackle from goalscorer Rice to rob United substitute Rasmus Hojlund arsenic helium raced into the country with lone Raya to beat.

It volition not marque overmuch quality to the destiny of the title. It simply emphasised that Arsenal's impotence astatine 1 extremity leaves them progressively susceptible astatine the other.

And this reflects severely connected Arteta and Arsenal's recruitment team, who failed to code an evident occupation up beforehand past summer.

As helium moves connected from his managerial landmark, the urgency is increasing to people his advancement successful the mode that matters most.

That is by really winning a trophy.