MAN UNITED 1, ARSENAL 1
How the mighty have fallen as this was a pale imitation of some of the previous blockbuster clashes in the Ferguson-Wenger era.
Here were two teams who were eighth and 11th in the Premier League before kick-off, a far cry from the glory eras for both in the not-too-distant past.
United inched up to 10th but, with nine points from their first seven league games, it is their worst start to a Premier League season, in fact since 1989-90.
The point lifted Arsenal fur places to fourth, but they, too, are a pale shadow of yesteryear’s immense sides as they are now without a win in their last 13 league visits to Old Trafford.
Embed from Getty ImagesIndeed, the opening 29 minutes, in which there were no goal attempts, underlined how far these two once-great clubs have fallen.
Mercifully, the game lifted out of that malaise and was mildly entertaining for the remaining hour.
Scott McTominay gave the Reds the lead with a sumptuous strike at the end of the opening half which was out of keeping with the remainder of the game.
Arsenal battled back through Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, one player truly world class as this was his eighth goal in as many games.
The Gunners’ young midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is also destined for great things as the midfielder eclipsed United’s £90million Paul Pogba who was again largely anonymous.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pinpointed the failure to score a second goal when 1-0 ahead as being critical.
He said: “There are so many games we have been 1-0 up, but not got the second goal.
“This is a steep learning curve for us and we’ll keep working hard and, with more experience, we’ll make the right decisions.
“It’s a bad goal to give away but sometimes you make those passes. You play out and it looks good. We learn from it.
“We are at the start of building something. It’s just a bit disappointing we couldn’t get the second goal.
“Effort is never a problem with these boys. They are working hard in training to improve. They were a bit passive at the start. We could have taken more risks going forward.”
Solskjaer had no complaints about Arsenal’s equaliser adding VAR could have given his side a penalty.
United made seven changes from the side that scraped past Rochdale in the Carabao Cup.
Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Andreas Pereira and Axel Tuanzebe were the only players to keep their places.
There was one piece of cheer for the Reds with Marcus Rashford returning after injury.
The opening was largely uneventful, plenty of honest endeavour from both sides in miserable wet conditions, but not end product.
Indeed, it took almost half an hour for either side to muster a goal attempt, an unwanted record for the longest period this season in the Premier League without a goal attempt.
Pereira made a terrific run from a deep lying midfield position and forced an excellent save from Bernd Leno from the edge of the box.
Arsenal’s first chance not long after saw Nicolas Pepe blaze a shot high into the Stretford End.
Pepe then forced a diving save from David De Gea as the game briefly threatened to spark to life.
The game exploded to life in the dying embers of the opening half.
Pogba released Rashford who was clean through only for Sokratis to save the day with a last-gasp tackle.
Arsenal then broke away and de Gea made a great double save to deny Bukayo Saka and Guendouzi’s follow-up effort.
The breakthrough came in the 45th minute following a Daniel James break and cross which was retrieved by Rashford who cut the ball back to McTominay who found the top corner from 20 yards, aided by a slight deflection. it was his first goal of the season and only his third for the Reds.
Arsenal equalised in the 58th minute after the intervention of VAR after Tuanzebe had given away possession to Saka.
Referee Kevin Friend initially ruled out Aubemayang’s goal for offside.
However, VAR ruled Harry Maguire had clearly played on the Arsenal striker who had raced through to lift the ball over De Gea for his eighth goal in eight games this season.
Arsenal ought to have been ahead on the hour when Callum Chambers crossed for Saka whose goalbound shot was deflected for a corner by Victor Lindelof.
United had three great chances to regain the lead when Pogba bent a shot narrowly wide as the game exploded to life, McTominay headed over from four yards from Ashley Young’s corner, a glaring miss and Maguire’s drive forced a top-drawer save from Leno.
Solskjaer made a double switch in the 74th minute withdrawing Lingard and Pereira as Fred and Mason Greenwood were introduced.
United had a great chance to snatch victory in stoppage time after McTominay was body checked by David Luiz on the edge of the box.
Rashford stepped forward only for Leno to pull off a fine save to his left as the game ended in deadlock.