Has Manchester United really recovered from ‘the problems of the past’ this season, Roy Keane doubts it. Erik ten Hag’s team lost to Arsenal on Sunday (3-2) and simply lacked quality, the Sky Sports analyst judged afterwards.
“You’re thinking, can’t they just hold the tie? Just take a point with you,” said the Manchester United club icon. “They’ve made progress, but at the end Shaw is central to defense alongside Wan-Bissaka, with Fred in midfield, McTominay… As if United haven’t recovered from the problems of the past. It was a tough game and Arsenal deserve compliments, but this is a reality check.”
“I know they missed an important player today, but that’s the game,” Keane referred to Casemiro. “A team like United should be able to deal with that. When things get tough and you look at the options on the bench twenty minutes before time… They are not good. Despite all the money United have spent, they are still short. We saw that today against a dazzling Arsenal. Manchester United will battle for the top four and maybe win a trophy, but there’s still a long way to go to challenge for the title.”
Praises on Arsenal
Arsenal, on the other hand, is in ‘good’ shape, the former midfielder acknowledged. He mentioned, “there’s a long way to go, but at the start of the season you wouldn’t have believed they would be here now. There was pressure on this game, but they handled it well. They scored three goals and deserved this win.”
Jamie Redknapp was also impressed. “In the last twenty minutes you felt that the goal was coming. That’s how confident they looked on the field. They didn’t chase balls into the penalty area, but they kept believing that there would be an opening. They were fantastic.”
For former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas, the top match was another piece of evidence that Arsenal is working on ‘something special’. “You feel the cohesion, you feel the Emirates Stadium go wild, you feel the passion that this team shows every week,” Fabregas summed up in the studio. “Today they have proven that they can also come back after difficult moments. They have a top mentality. This gives them a big push towards the rest of the season. This was a great match from Arsenal. There was not a single player who did not reach his level. I am very proud of this team.”
