Onana is a problem for Ten Hag
Erik ten Hag can level to accidents and clearly this isn’t his strongest aspect, with Manchester United making an attempt to provide you with a non permanent answer at left-back. But the urge for food for excuses at Old Trafford is fading when the supervisor’s goalkeeper is creating such uncertainty.
He was not properly supported by his defence in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League defeat by Galatasaray. Diogo Dalot may have accomplished higher for the primary aim, Victor Lindelof was caught out of place for the second and Raphael Varane was nowhere to be seen for the third. Sofyan Amrabat struggled badly in that second half.
But whereas doubts over Dalot and Lindelof are hardly new, and Amrabat is enjoying out of place on the left, Onana was alleged to be the goalkeeper to assist usher in a new period at Manchester United, a man able to bringing calm to the staff in possession.
He has already discovered himself concerned in a variety of furry incidents. Against Galatasaray, he might need been extra assertive for Wilfried Zaha’s aim and there was one other hapless try to gather a cross within the second half. That appeared to have an effect on his confidence.
It was not lengthy afterwards that his poor move out from the again straight led to Casemiro being despatched off, shifting the momentum of the match. If David De Gea had made a mistake like that it could have been produced as proof of his incapacity to play along with his ft.
Onana can do it, he has demonstrated that skill, one thing that Ten Hag was eager to emphasize within the press convention after the sport. But the United boss is up in opposition to it proper now and wants his huge gamers to ship. His goalkeeper failed to try this and it proved pricey.
Adam Bate
Hojlund a shining gentle for struggling Man Utd
If there may be one optimistic to take from Manchester United’s newest disappointment, it is the efficiency of Rasmus Hojlund.
The 20-year-old was a shining gentle on one other dismal night for Erik ten Hag’s aspect. United have been lacking a No 9 like him. Strength, energy, willpower, wonderful hold-up play and medical ending, Hojlund placed on a powerful particular person present at Old Trafford.
Hojlund, signed from Atalanta for £72m this summer time, was in the proper place to move house Marcus Rashford’s cross early within the recreation and then ran from inside his personal half earlier than making use of a delicate end to place United again in entrance after the break. He may have had a hat-trick too however noticed one other composed strike accurately disallowed for offside.
The Denmark worldwide turned the youngest participant to attain in his first two Champions League appearances since Erling Haaland and adopted Dimitar Berbatov, Romelu Lukaku and Wayne Rooney find the web no less than thrice in his first two Champions League matches for United.
Hojlund performed with maturity past his years in opposition to Galatasaray and if his aspect may defend correctly, this recreation would have been all about him. His future is vibrant, even when United’s quick one is just not.
Dan Sansom
Arsenal need Saka and Martinelli again
Almost everybody else will be changed: Arsenal can’t afford to lose Bukayo Saka to harm.
Exactly why the England winger is so indispensable to Arsenal was seen of their defeat at Lens. As quickly as Saka got here off, the Gunners had a flat tyre.
Saka is the participant with essentially the most one-on-ones within the Premier League this season – he relentlessly explores these particular person duels with the full-back, and averages 14 per Premier League recreation.
But on Tuesday evening, his substitute, Fabio Vieira, tried to get round his man solely as soon as.
It is similar on the opposite aspect: Gabriel Martinelli has related numbers to Saka. Leandro Trossard is an satisfactory substitute for the Brazilian, however Sunday’s go to of Manchester City calls for extra than simply satisfactory.
Mikel Arteta is aware of it too. “The two wingers that we are missing, they give us a lot of threat,” he mentioned after the defeat to Lens. “And it’s different to other qualities we have in the squad.”
It feels that Arsenal’s hopes of beating Man City on Sunday might be decided by the staff information…
Sam Blitz
Individual errors costing Arsenal
No Champions League video games are straightforward, particularly away from house. That’s one thing you hear yearly and Arsenal came upon the laborious approach in opposition to Lens on the Stade Bollaert-Delelis.
With the French aspect enjoying their first Champions league house recreation in additional than 20 years, the environment was hostile and raucous, however Arsenal did properly to see off the early Lens storm earlier than taking the lead by means of Gabriel Jesus’ strike.
The Gunners had been in full management of the sport and holding the house followers quiet. That was till David Raya’s unfastened move allowed Lens again into the sport by means of Adrien Thomasson’s advantageous end.
When requested what he can do to assist his aspect minimize out pricey errors, Arteta mentioned: “We want to stop everything and produce big possibilities for the team to win the game. But mistakes are part of it and errors happen in football constantly, every three or four seconds an error will happen, yours or the opponent, and we have to adapt to that.”
In the top, it proved actually pricey as Lens accomplished a excellent comeback to inflict a first defeat of the season on Mikel Arteta’s aspect after Elye Wahi’s successful aim. An particular person error additionally price Arsenal within the north London derby when Jorginho was caught in possession for Heung-min Son’s equaliser, which noticed Spurs rescue a level on the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners, who have not discovered the fluency of final season up to now this marketing campaign, can’t afford errors. They will know they’ll need a near-perfect efficiency when the league leaders Man City come to city on Sunday.
Oliver Yew
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