Talking Numbers: A Closer Look At Man United’s Chaotic Draw Against Arsenal

Manchester United registered their third consecutive draw in the league and their fourth match without the win. Three points from the possible 12 are a terrible result and the match against Arsenal did not bring the match needed win. The team is currently eighth in the league, far from the top four and talks about the Champions League football next season must wait for a while now. The priority should be to just start winning football matches.

Jose Mourinho’s team showed some positive glimpses, but in general, it was obvious that even the slightest decent thing is something Man United fans look at as something really good. The bar has been set and it is so low these days… So, what have we also learned from this big clash that numbers are helping us with?

Herrera’s Presence Is Always Felt

We kind of knew this one. Jose Mourinho once again brought Ander Herrera from his sleeve, for him to feature in a big match. The Spaniard is used to his role of a player with a task. This time, he was expected to do a big work in central midfield, in a two with Nemanja Matic, as Mourinho opted for three centre-backs.

And Herrera reminded us that his presence is always felt. We have seen that last season against Chelsea, we have seen that so many times. We have also seen when that has not worked out well, but this time his presence was a positive. He made 65 touches, much less than Matic, which was expected, but his harassing of Arsenal players was very useful throughout. Herrera’s energy was amazing once again and he attempted eight tackles in this match, the second most in the whole match had Jesse Lingard, with four. That tells you a lot.

Torreira Runs The Midfield And Begs The Big Question

Lucas Torreira was amazing for Arsenal in the North London Derby and against United he showed once again how big of a signing he is for the Gunners. Arsenal signed this central midfielder, aged 22, for just 27 million pounds. Considering Man United’s business this summer, especially in regards to Fred’s arrival, it is hard not to spot the elephant in the room. Why was Torreira not on United’s radar?

Torreira seems to be fitting Arsenal’s midfield perfectly, but it also looks like he would gel in this United team without a problem. His energy and both eager defensive work and technical ability would make him a big part of the Devils, as they are obviously lacking top quality in central midfield.

Why Are United Inconsistent With Their Early Press?

Manchester United do not press. They just don’t. Their numbers in those regards are usually amongst the worst in the league – the number of sprints, the number of grass covered and all that. But similarly to the match against Tottenham, Man United pressed very well early on the match. That unsettled Arsenal in the beginning, but as well as against Spurs, it was this time too that the Devils did not capitalize on that. No wonder when they get to do that so rarely.

1 Comment on Talking Numbers: A Closer Look At Man United’s Chaotic Draw Against Arsenal

  1. Lets be positive, I thought they played much better withoutogba, they should let him go. They were not perfect, but it is a start, a younger fitter side, played well. They just need some more experienced and better players, dedicated to Man Utd

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