Where is Rasmus Hojlund’s next goal coming from?! Winners and losers as Man Utd’s misfiring No.9 wastes huge chance to turn season around while Arsenal’s own goal-shy forwards revert to type after PSV pummelling

The Dane’s confidence is at an all-time low after wasting two huge chances to end his long goal drought on a day to forget all round for forwards

Manchester United vs Arsenal used to mean Cristiano Ronaldo against Robin van Persie or Ruud van Nistelrooy taking on Thierry Henry. But in Sunday’s showdown between two of the Premier League’s great rivals over the years, top strikers were conspicuous by their absence in a 1-1 draw that was high on excitement but low on quality.

The Gunners were severely lacking firepower as Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard provided no support to makeshift centre-forward Mikel Merino, while United’s main striker Joshua Zirkzee was rarely seen in the opposition’s penalty box. But the striker who left the game feeling lowest of all was Rasmus Hojlund, who missed two big chances and stretched his goal drought to an unbelievable 20 matches.

The Danish striker just cannot catch a break and has faced criticism all season for his meagre goal threat. He is no longer experiencing a blip, however. This is a full-blown crisis of confidence and it is difficult to see how he can pick himself back again and begin to look like the exciting striker who terrorised European defences last season.

With neither team able to rely on their strikers, the midfielders took centre stage. Bruno Fernandes underlined his importance to United with a splendid free-kick to give his side an unexpected lead, while Declan Rice responded with a scorching strike of his own. Rice also made the difference in his own area with a decisive slide tackle on Hojlund, and Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya helped preserve the point for Mikel Arteta’s side with three big saves in the second half.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Old Trafford…
Getty Images Sport

WINNER: Bruno Fernandes

The captain will always rub certain people up the wrong way but here was the latest demonstration that he is United’s most important player by a mile. It might not have been the all-action performance Fernandes is renowned for as he played a backseat role. But when the moment came for him to step up, he did, giving United a lead they barely deserved with his exquisite free-kick.

It was his third deadly set piece in three Premier League games to file alongside his goal against Everton and his match-winning corner delivery for Harry Maguire against Ipswich, earning United four points along the way. And the strike took Fernandes into an exclusive club: he is the only player in the Premier League along with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland to have been directly involved in 25 or more goals in all competitions in each of the last three seasons.

So it was little wonder that Amorim declared after the game: “We need more Brunos.” The coach added of his captain: “He steps up all the time. Sometimes he can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than everyone but he is always available, h can always play in different positions and when we need a goal and an assist he is always there.”

Getty

LOSER: Rasmus Hojlund

The Danish striker was given a reality check when he was taken out of the starting line-up for the game after a hugely disappointing showing against Real Sociedad, when his team-mates seemed unwilling to pass to him. But if the aim of the coach was to jolt his £72m ($92m) striker back to life, then it did not work.

Hojlund had two glorious chances to break his long goal drought and restore United’s lead but he failed to take them: he was too slow to get his shot away after Casemiro’s tackle on Merino had given him the perfect shooting chance. And moments later Toby Collyer squared the ball to him inside the six-yard box but Gabriel put him off and he sent the ball wide.

The criticism of Hojlund has often been that he does not sniff out chances or work hard enough to get in the right positions, with the one caveat being that his team-mates are not helping him by failing to find him. But here he showed that even when given glorious opportunities, he is incapable of taking them. His confidence is on the floor and Amorim seems to be at a loss over how to pull him back up.

Getty

WINNER: Rice and Raya

Despite Arsenal’s dominance, the Gunners owed the fact they were able to leave Old Trafford with a point to two men: David Raya and Declan Rice. Rice obviously scored the equaliser with an emphatic finish from the edge of the area but his goal-saving tackle on Hojlund was worth two points.

The goal and tackle endeared the club’s record signing to fans even more and when the full-time whistle went the visiting supporters were bellowing out ‘Declan Rice, we got him half price’. There is an air of mischief to that chant but an element of truth to it too – £105 million ($135m) feels like a bargain given the impact the England international has had on the Gunners since switching from Arsenal.

Raya could be faulted for the manner in which he let Fernandes’ free-kick sneak into the net, although the Portuguese had played his part by cheekily moving the ball backwards to allow himself more room, a move Arteta described as “street smart”. But the Spaniard made amends with three top-class saves in the second half. The best of the lot was when he stopped Noussair Mazraoui’s volley with his leg, but he also reacted quickly to prevent Joshua Zirkzee scoring with a backheel and threw himself at Fernandes’ last-minute strike.

On a day when Arsenal’s front line faltered, they were thankful for these decisive interventions at the back.

Getty

LOSER: Arsenal’s forwards

After smashing a record-breaking seven goals past PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Tuesday, the Gunners must have been looking forward to sinking their teeth into this vulnerable United side. But their forward men did not turn up and should have done far more with the team’s 67 percent possession and 17 shots. Mikel Merino huffed and puffed up front but he got little support from the wide forwards, with Arsenal’s greatest threat coming from midfielders Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice.

Ethan Nwaneri never got into the game and should have exposed the shaky Victor Lindelof more, while Leandro Trossard – who had scored in Eindhoven along with Nwaneri – was even less effective. The Belgian also gave away the free-kick leading to United’s goal.

A bad day all round for Arsenal’s forwards was completed when Raheem Sterling was overlooked on the bench and Kieran Tierney got the nod instead as Arteta searched for a late winner. The only positive note was the return of Gabriel Martinelli, ahead of schedule from the hamstring injury he sustained one month ago.

Getty Images Sport

WINNER: Liverpool

Liverpool might not have won many Premier League titles but they have had remarkably serene paths to it. Their last title was effectively secured in January 2020 when they raced 16 points clear of Manchester City after beating Manchester United 2-0. And they might as well start booking their trophy parade after they finished another hugely satisfying weekend 15 points ahead of Arsenal.

Arne Slot’s side did at least make things interesting against Southampton, if even for only 24 minutes. That was the time it took, including the half-time break, between Will Smallbone giving the Saints a shock lead at Anfield, Darwin Nunez levelling and Mohamed Salah putting the Reds in front with the first of his two penalties.

Not many Liverpool fans would have been comfortable with the idea of wishing United to beat Arsenal but they got the perfect outcome: Arteta’s side dropping points without the Red Devils winning a game and marching one step closer to title number 20, which will knock United back off their perch by equalling their record number of crowns.

Getty Images Sport

LOSER: The Glazers and Ratcliffe

United’s official X account posted after the game: “A vocal Old Trafford is a powerful thing. We regret not rewarding your support with three points but we heard you all the way.” What the admins had neglected to mention was that a big reason the stadium was so fired up was the massive protest against the club’s owners that had taken place before.

There have been countless protests against the Glazers in the 20 years since they controversially took control of United via a leveraged buyout, plunging the club into debt in the process, although dissent had quietened down slightly since INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought his minority stake last year and became the main face of the club. But after the club’s worst season in 51 years and a deteriorating financial picture that has led to huge redundancies, fans are dissenting once more and against both main ownership groups.

The Glazers have never cared too much about the criticism they have faced and the regular chants and protests have always been like water off a duck’s back to them. After all, they rarely attend games anyway. Ratcliffe, though, had painted himself as a working-class Manchester lad and tried to ingratiate himself to fans. Well, the mask has truly slipped and fans are under no illusions about their minority owner, who has driven up ticket prices by 164 percent, laid off hundreds of long-serving employees and also made some baffling decisions on Erik ten Hag and Dan Ashworth.

Ratcliffe was in attendance at Old Trafford and he would have heard the level of opposition against his handling of the club loud and clear, as well as a few less-than-complimentary chants levelled at him.