Manchester United are not used to losing to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal.
In recent years, the pattern has been the same – the Gunners dominate possession and play some very attractive football, but United kill them on the counter-attack. Indeed only one of the last 13 league encounters between the two has resulted in capital gains.
As such, many expected a similar pattern and outcome on Sunday. It was anything but. United, for some unfathomable reason only known to Louis van Gaal, tried to stifle Arsenal by pressing high up the pitch with ageing duo Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Arsenal fans couldn’t believe their luck as their heroes took maximum advantage, tearing the visitors apart with three goals in the first 20 minutes. Now the Times report that United’s players were unhappy with Van Gaal for setting them out in such a way, and implored him to play on the counter.
According to the newspaper:
“Van Gaal had been encouraged in the build-up to the game to play a system that would involve sitting deeper and hitting on the break, but the United manager rebuffed that request in favour of playing a pressing game that failed miserably en route to a dismal 3-0 defeat.”
Despite being only two points off the top of the league, it seems not all is well at Old Trafford at the moment – both on and off the pitch.
