On the evening of May 12th, Manchester United lost 0-1 to Arsenal at home, marking the first time since 1971 that they have conceded 82 goals in a single English Premier League season.

MU cannot create a surprise against Arsenal.

After a challenging period, Bruno Fernandes suffered an injury and missed two consecutive matches. In his place, Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes played in the attacking midfield position and wore the captain’s armband, while Scott McTominay took on a leadership role.

In defense, Lisandro Martinez returned to training but Coach Ten Hag was not yet willing to risk playing him. The central defensive pair for the Red Devils remained Casemiro and Evans, two players heavily criticized in the 0-4 loss to Crystal Palace.

On the other hand, Mikel Arteta had the best options at his disposal. Arsenal aimed for a win to keep their hopes alive in the title race.

Early on, Arsenal pressed the home team. In the 4th minute, the visitors had their first shot, but Bukayo Saka’s effort did not trouble Andrea Onana. Just a minute later, Manchester United had a chance after a turnover by Thomas Partey. Rasmus Hojlund’s left-footed shot, however, missed the target.

In the 7th minute, Amad and Garnacho caused trouble for Arsenal’s defense with their dribbles, earning a corner kick. However, Arsenal’s defense remained focused to preserve their clean sheet.

After 15 minutes, Manchester United had four attempts on goal, double that of Arsenal, but without success. Nonetheless, it was a relatively successful start for the home team at Old Trafford, considering the injuries they had suffered.

At a balanced moment in the game, Manchester United unexpectedly conceded. In the 21st minute, Casemiro failed to step up, rendering Manchester United’s offside trap ineffective. Kai Havertz comfortably drifted down the right flank and crossed for Leandro Trossard to tap in, giving the visitors the lead.

Casemiro moved up too slowly, while MU’s defense was all up.

When the midfield couldn’t retain possession, Manchester United relied heavily on the individual efforts of their wing players. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo played with full effort but couldn’t make a difference against the staunchest defense in the Premier League this season. In the center, Rasmus Hojlund also struggled, constantly receiving the ball in the midst of 2 or 3 away defenders.

After more than 10 minutes into the second half, Arsenal continued to play with assurance. The London side prioritized defense rather than pushing forward. In a rare instance where the away defenders left gaps at the 60th minute, Garnacho’s shot went straight into the advertising boards.

In the 70th minute, Manchester United had their first shot on target, with Casemiro attempting from quite a distance. The shot was powerful but not enough to trouble David Raya.

In the final 20 minutes, with Antony coming on, Manchester United played with higher determination. However, their attacks were almost harmless in front of Raya’s goal.

In the 78th minute, Arsenal had their first chance of the second half. Marinelli unleashed a powerful shot inside the box, forcing Andre Onana to make a full-stretch save. Not stopping there, the Cameroonian star also made consecutive saves to deny Arsenal’s attempts at the 83rd minute.

The match ended with a comfortable victory for Arsenal. Manchester United had 14 shots but never troubled Raya. The Gunners temporarily rose to the top with 86 points, one ahead of Manchester City. Next week, Pep Guardiola’s side will play a rescheduled match against Tottenham.