Declan rice was on target for Arsenal, but they were unable to secure the three points
It was such a clean and beautiful hit, Declan Rice was fully entitled to enjoy the celebrations, even if they were in front of the Stretford End.
The home supporters were predictably unimpressed, but then neither was Rice’s team-mate, Gabriel Martinelli, who appeared to suggest his colleague might want to cut short his revelry close to the corner flag and get back for a restart as quickly as possible.
It was a fantastic equaliser but there was a game to be won. It was the sort of attitude Rice loves.
There is certainly nothing wrong with the commitment and approach of this Arsenal side, that is for sure. And Rice himself demonstrated that with a last-ditch, superbly-timed tackle that stopped Rasmus Hojlund from trying to secure a late winner for Manchester United.
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No, this is an Arsenal team that has had to deal with some adversity this season and has dealt with it with a fair amount of grit. In his 200th game as a Premier League manager, Mikel Arteta cannot have asked for more from his players, in terms of effort.
But as strange as it seems to say just a few days after they scored seven in a Champions League game, Arsenal’s need for a new cutting edge has never been as glaringly obvious as it was during this contest.
Arsenal lacked a cutting edge in attack
Arsenal lacked a cutting edge in attack ( Image: Getty Images)
And that is why the most significant news on this Arsenal match day was confirmation that Andrea Berta will be the club’s new sporting director.
Considering the Italian’s considerable influence at Atletico Madrid over the past decade or so, Berta would seem to be a shrewd, blue-chip appointment. And everyone knows what his priority will be this summer. Help Arsenal recruit a high-quality striker, or even two.
Because for all their first half possession, they never looked like scoring and that paved the way for the Bruno Fernandes strike that could well have led to a United win.
Bruno Fernandes almost won it for United late on
Bruno Fernandes almost won it for United late on ( Image: PA)
Ruben Amorim’s side then operated exclusively on the counter-attack and should have used at least one of those counter-attacks to increase their lead.
David Raya ensured they didn’t and Rice’s beauty - along with his and his keeper’s late defensive heroics - gave Arsenal a deserved point.
That point, of course, means that Liverpool’s title win becomes even more a formality and the eventual margin could yet be embarrassing for those beneath Arne Slot’s team.
Mikel Arteta needs to move for a striker in the summer ( Image: PA)
But this is an Arsenal side that has, as Arteta says, had to cope with a fair amount of setbacks and has done so with a lot of drive and a lot of determination.
But they need to make a hugely decisive move in the striking transfer market this summer - and that need has never been more obvious than it was at Old Trafford.
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