Manchester United were defeated 1-0 at Old Trafford against title challengers Arsenal on Sunday afternoon. It was their 14th loss of the season in the Premier League and leaves them struggling in their push for a European spot.
The Gunners took the lead in the 20th minute, thanks to a close-range finish from Leandro Trossard, who Kai Havertz set up well. The German made a run in behind United’s defence, having been played onside by Casemiro. He carried the ball to the touchline, before pulling it back for Trossard.
Apart from that, there were few chances of real note for either side. United goalkeeper Andre Onana pulled off a smart save in the second half to prevent Gabriel Martinelli and Aaron Wan-Bissaka had his blushes saved after a header towards his own goal was tipped clear by Onana.
United were much more compact in midfield this week, a necessary tactical tweak from Erik ten Hag. However, they struggled to create many noticeable chances, and some players struggled, including Casemiro and one of their exciting young stars.
Casemiro’s stats vs. Arsenal
After a tough week for Casemiro, following a poor performance against Palace at Selhurst Park last Monday, his act of playing Havertz onside for Arsenal’s goal was another disappointing moment for him this season.
Of course, fans should cut him some slack, because he is not a centre-back and, thus is not used to stepping up with the rest of the back four. However, you would certainly hope his experience would shine through and he would be able to recognise he needs to step up.
This led to the Manchester Evening News’ United correspondent Samuel Luckhurst giving him a 4/10 post-match rating. His review noted that Casemiro was caught “trundling out of defence” in the moments that led to Trossard’s goal.
Whilst he did do well out of possession aside from that mistake, winning all three of his tackles, and seven out of the eight duels he contested as per Sofascore, the Brazilian was frustrating on the ball. Casemiro lost the ball 18 times during the match, an average of once every five minutes.
However, one United player struggled more than Casemiro at times against the Gunners, before his eventual substitution in the second half.
Rasmus Hojlund’s stats vs. Arsenal
The player in question here is United’s 21-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund. The youngster has struggled with service in recent weeks, and that was no different against Arsenal, especially with no Bruno Fernandes in the United side due to injury.
The Denmark international has scored just one goal in the eight Premier League games he has played since returning from injury in March, which came against Sheffield United in a 4-2 victory at Old Trafford.
Hojlund received an even lower post-match rating from Luckhurst than Casemiro did, a 3/10 to be exact. In his review, Luckhuirst observed that this is Hojlund’s “worst run of form”, and that the youngster “should have come off earlier”. The 21-year-old was replaced by Ethan Wheatley in the 88th minute.
Indeed, Hojlund’s rating is certainly reflected in his stats. He has just 17 touches in the 88 minutes he was on the pitch, fewer than goalkeeper Onana, and won one of the eight duels he contested. He managed just one shot in the whole game, which came in the first half. Hojlund lost his footing whilst shooting, and fired waywardly over the bar.
It was certainly a tough night with little service for the Dane, who will be desperate for a goal to end his poor run of form. Likewise, United are crying out for a win, having won just one of their last eight Premier League games, the victory over Sheffield United, plus an FA Cup semi-final victory on penalties.
With two more Premier League games to go before the FA Cup final showdown against Manchester City, Ten Hag will be hoping his side can find their best form in time to bring the trophy back to the red half of Manchester.