Manchester United’s result didn’t match their performance, in a positive way, as Ruben Amorim’s men drew 1-1 against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
What started as Man Utd’s defence vs Arsenal’s attack in the opening exchanges ended with the visitors hanging on for a point as United created the best chances.
Bruno Fernandes will make all the headlines with his sublime free-kick but it was a team effort where many players had a platform to build on.
Owen Hargreaves picked one out in particular who shone with Fernandes. He was a “one-man wrecking crew” and a “shining light”.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Owen Hargreaves raves about Man Utd ace
A team needs to be at their best to get a result against the current Arsenal setup and United were nearly there in all departments.
From Ayden Heaven shining on his Premier League debut to Fernandes who will rightly grab all the headlines, there were many positives.
However, when the chips were down in the early stages and United were under the cosh, even Fernandes couldn’t get going but one player was full of running and enterprise.
It was Alejandro Garnacho, playing on the right against Arsenal and showing the remarkable growth in his game by putting in a proper winger’s display.
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Hargreaves singled him out for praise after the match, calling him a “shining light” to add to his “one-man wrecking crew” compliment for the Argentinian.
He said: “[Garnacho was a] one man wrecking crew. He was the only one doing something at times, trusted to go forward. He won the free kick. He’s the one who’s tried to create something. He’s isolated up front, giving them an outlet. Garnacho on the right was terrific. He was the shining light.”
Alejandro Garnacho is improving under Ruben Amorim
It hasn’t been the smoothest of roads for Garnacho at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim but he’s repeatedly shown his heart is at the right place.
From fighting back and taking his place in the team after an initial hiccup to sailing through another one by talking to the manager and apologising, his reaction to setbacks has been perfect.
In the absence of Amad, he’s the only player in the team with the sort of direct-running and dribbling skills that can break down a defence on its own.
With his winger display on the right vs Arsenal, he showed another facet of his improving game that looked worryingly predictable at one point.