Manchester United and Arsenal played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Two excellent goals by Bruno Fernandes and Declan Rice ensured the points were shared between the Red Devils and the Gunners, on a day where Ruben Amorim witnessed a much improved display from his side – compared to their recent level of performance, at least.
Manchester United almost stole all three points in the final stages – but for two excellent stops by David Raya and a vital challenge from Rice.
What a tackle from Declan Rice 💪 pic.twitter.com/LgS5pUHDXG
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 9, 2025
The Red Devils certainly had their chances to win – and Amorim believes Arsenal did something which “helped” Manchester United create opportunities as the game went on.
Ruben Amorim says Arsenal’s sense of adventure helped Manchester United
Speaking to BBC Sport after the final whistle, the man born in Lisbon suggested Arsenal’s desire to push for a winner actually helped Manchester United and Alejandro Garnacho in particular, as space opened up.
Amorim said: “It helps when you score a goal and don’t suffer – you can feel the energy in the stadium.
“In this moment, we try to win games, be compact. We were so near in the second half to score a goal. We were really competitive and I think that is important. We pushed forward and not back. We had some situations to win the game. Arsenal put a lot of men inside the box to win – and I think Alejandro Garnacho did a complete game – and that helped us a lot.”
Manchester United still have a problem which Arsenal helped to conceal
Manchester United deserve credit for putting up a fight against Arsenal – although the problem of breaking down sides who come to Old Trafford and sit back remains.
Amorim, who once rejected Tottenham, sounded delighted by the fact Arsenal desperately pushed forward and looked to win – a tactic which even Mikel Arteta admitted nearly pushed Manchester United towards victory – but issues remain against the smaller sides.
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images
For instance, the likes of Crystal Palace, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Bournemouth have won at Old Trafford this season, while Southampton – who sit bottom on nine points – almost earned a result before Amad Diallo’s late hat-trick in January.
Hopefully, Amorim – who wants Geovany Quenda – can quickly figure out how to break down teams who sit back, or else Manchester United will continue to struggle.