When Juan Mata was substituted with 83 minutes on the clock, most Manchester United fans must have been thinking of going home and relaxing after another win against their bitter rivals. The Old Trafford terraces was left shell-shocked when Olivier Giroud rose highest in the 88th minute to power in an equalizer after good work by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain down the Arsenal right.
It was a sucker punch for the Red Devils, who played with so much conviction, with the draw almost feeling like a loss. United are currently sixth on the table, on 19 points after registering their third consecutive home draw. After a summer which was filled with serious transfer spending, the minimum expectation for Jose and his players is a sustained title challenge, which, at the moment, is not going according to plan.
Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs was not too dissapointed by the result over the weekend. The Welshman, who enjoyed a stellar playing and coaching career at the club was speaking to Sky Sports via Sport review after the game. He said, “Just concentrate on the next game. They’ve got three home games now.” “There are a lot of positives from today. Jose’s experienced enough, but take all of the positives you can.” “You’ve just got to win the next game and get some momentum, because there’s not been any momentum so far this season.” he added.
Despite a bright start to the season, United have been inconsistent since losing the derby to Manchester City back in September. Top players like Rooney, Martial, Smalling and Luke Shaw have been nowhere near best and United have suffered as a result. The Red Devils are five points off Tottenham, who occupy 5th place. The club is monitoring major transfer options in the next transfer window. A host of players have been mooted like Michael Keane, Virgil Van Dijk which means that Jose is priotising defence over attack, as he isn’t too comfortable with the options he has at the back.
United play next on Thursday when they face Feyernoord in the Europa League.
