Emotional Arsenal get carried away in Man United defeat as Mikel Arteta tactical tinkering fails

There is clearly new-found confidence to Arsenal this season — and no more was that evident than during yesterday’s defeat at Manchester United.

When Bukayo Saka struck in the 60th minute to cancel out United debutant’s Antony’s first-half opener, there was a thirst in Mikel Arteta’s side to go for the winner.

In years gone by they may have settled for a point at that stage, but not now, not after going into this game having won their first five matches and, arguably, outplaying United in their own backyard over the opening hour.

As it was, Arsenal got swept away in the emotion of sensing what would have been only their second win at Old Trafford in their last 16 League games.

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They pressed forward, pushing for a winner, and their high line was exposed, with Marcus Rashford punishing them twice. His second goal came moments after Arteta had a made a triple substitution to throw on three forwards.

“Chance after chance, dominating the game and imposing ourselves in the way that we want to play,” said Arteta. “I said at half-time to the boys, ‘The game is there for the taking. We play with even more courage and we’re going to win the game’. We went to 1-1 and we should have been 2-1 or 3-1 up, and in the best moment again we gave them all away in a dangerous area — and, on top of that, we stepped in when we can never do that again.”

Arteta is right that this game was there for taking. But as he pores over the analysis of it, the Spaniard will wonder whether he almost tinkered too much in search of three points.

In these opening six games there has been a noticeable boldness about his substitutions and tactical changes, which is something he was criticised for during the early part of his tenure.

The argument was that sometimes Arteta was too slow to change things, but the evidence this season is that he has become bolder.

Against Fulham last month, five minutes after the visitors took the lead at Emirates Stadium, he took off his left-back, Kieran Tierney, and threw on striker Eddie Nketiah. On that occasion, it worked, as Arsenal came back to win 2-1.

This time, though, the result was not positive and the argument is that Arsenal needed more of the same after equalising, not a radical change of approach. Their game plan was working and, particularly in the first 15 minutes of the second half, they were all over United. Martin Odegaard missed a golden chance, while Saka hit the top of the bar and flashed an effort wide.

But, after equalising, Arsenal’s control of the game faded.

This is still the youngest team in the Premier League and, after five straight wins, you can understand their hunger to go for the kill. The chance of a rare win at Old Trafford will have only added to the desire to take all three points.

For Arteta, it is a difficult situation and, as always, performances are analysed through the lens of the result. Had Arsenal won, he would have been lauded; in defeat, he will be scrutinised, and there is a question over whether he should have been more pragmatic.

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Both of United’s goals came as Arsenal were exposed for having a high line, a crime against an Erik ten Hag side set up to play on the counter.

Arteta’s substitutions also seemed to have an impact, with Arsenal momentarily losing their rhythm and positioning to be opened up.

Even in defeat, though, there are positives for Arsenal, not least when you throw that they were the latest side to have a VAR gripe over the weekend, after Gabriel Maritnelli had an early goal chalked off because Odegaard was judged to have fouled Christian Eriksen in the build-up.

Had that been given, then perhaps things would have been different, but as it was Arsenal were once again left leaving Old Trafford licking their wounds.

Arteta described the defeat as a “big lesson” for his young side — and the same goes for him, too. He will have learned that sometimes it is better to stick, rather than twist.

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