Arsenal 3-2 Man United: Two big mistakes made by Ten Hag again
If dropping two points against Crystal Palace was painful for Man United, losing all three against Arsenal was even more painful for the Red Devils.
While Erik Ten Hag deserves accolades for what he has done so far with United, some mistakes by the Dutch manager is proving costly.
In Sunday's tie, Eddie Nketiah's excellent brace secured a dramatic victory over Manchester United for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta's side were forced to come from behind after Marcus Rashford nutmegged Thomas Partey and found the back of the net with a terrifying drive from 25-yards.
However, Nketiah levelled the scoreline six minutes later, capping a wonderful Arsenal move by ghosting in at the back post and beating David De Gea with a bullet header.
Bukayo Saka fired Arsenal in front but United pegged back the hosts.
However in the 90th minute, Nketiah sealed all three points for the Gunnners.
The Daily Star looks at two of the 'wrong' decisions made by Ten Hag that possibly worked against is team.
Wout Weghorst start
Wout Weghorst’s inclusion was a huge surprise. After enduring a quiet debut in the 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, the Dutchman starting United’s biggest match to date is not something many would have expected.
A dynamic frontline of Alejandro Garnacho, Rashford, and Antony would have been may people’s first choice, particularly against a very high North Londoners’ backline. However, Weghorst’s pressing ability is deceptively impressive for a man towering at around 6 ft 6 inches.
His physical presence also gave United an extra dimension, as the Red Devils were able to bypass the Arsenal press by finding the ex-Burnley forward with a lofted pass, or they could launch it down the pitch as a way to relieve pressure from Arsenal’s lightning fast press. While he may not be at United for the long term, he is certainly a useful, cost-effective option for Ten Hag.
David de Gea
At times, United’s football has been scintillating under Ten Hag. However, De Gea’s passing and distribution is certainly proving to be a weakness.
The Spaniard looks remarkably stiff when the ball is played into his feet and opposing fans are beginning to target him. After he spooned an attempt of a long pass to Luke Shaw into the stands, Arsenal fans began to jeer and scream every time the ball was passed back to him.
If Ten Hag is insistent on his backline and goalkeeper playing out from the back, De Gea’s lack of confidence with the ball at his feet could very well result in the shot stopper gifting one or two chances per game. With United appearing to be on the cusp of a title challenge, they cannot afford to give away any more cheap goaahains
