Why Mikel Arteta was furious after a draw with Man United
Arsenal is still one of the most impressive teams in England’s Premier League, but their chances of winning the title have slipped away. Liverpool has broken away and dominated the 2024-25 season, and the Gunners have been left in the dust.
The title charge has already been damaging, but a draw to bitter rivals Manchester United has proven to be a bad result for the North London club. Manager Mikel Arteta has done superbly well this season amidst all the injuries and the lack of recruitment. He was visibly frustrated after the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Sunday, March 9, 2025.
Arteta believes they failed to capitalise against Man U
Arsenal conceded a Bruno Fernandes free-kick goal in the first half, but the Gunners looked ready to bounce back. They finally broke through when Martin Ødegaard and Jurrien Timber carved out the defence to open up a Declan Rice equaliser. Beyond that goal, Arsenal were wasteful with their goal-scoring chances.
After the match, Mikel was furious as it was a winnable game. Man United did not have the best performance, but Arsenal kept having trouble unlocking the low-block defence the Red Devils deployed during the match because of a lack of quality in the attack.
He said, ‘We had some unbelievable situations but we didn't get the last shot or the last pass. We didn't capitalise, we rushed the game, we started to lose duels, and we could have ended up losing it. Sometimes that is what is missing. The execution has to be in to the right player and the right player to shoot’.
Arsenal remains a fantastic team
While most people will be negative about what has happened with Arsenal this season, context is needed in the discourse. They lost multiple star players like Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka for months, which resulted in the team struggling.
Further injuries to players around the team ruined their chances of winning games when they should have. They are a dominant side, but the front office’s struggles with recruitment have been obvious this season.
With reports of former Atlético Madrid director Andrea Berta taking over the sporting director role in North London, this might not be an issue. He has a proven track record of leading a team to success in Spain, and Mikel might finally get his desired players.
Gunners fans are displeased with what they have seen this season, but Arsenal are still a strong side. They will continue to improve, especially with an elite manager like Mikel leading the charge. By getting healthier and doing good scouting, the Gunners can douse the fire and get the much-needed trophy soon.
