How Erik ten Hag’s pragmatism helped Manchester United down Arsenal 3-1

Erik ten Hag had been wildly misconceived when he took on the mammoth task of leading Manchester United’s rebuild earlier this year.

The Dutchman isn’t an idealist in the mould of Marcelo Bielsa, nor is he the second coming of Pep Guardiola. Sure, there are philosophical similarities to the great Spaniard, but ten Hag’s coaching ideals have been influenced by many and his tactical flexibility has been on full display during his opening six Premier League games as United boss.

A change of tack was almost forced upon the former Ajax manager after United’s build-up was the major contributing factor to their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brentford on Matchday 2. Nine days later, United often went long from goal kicks against Liverpool to ensure the Reds couldn’t dominate without the ball.

The ploy certainly caught Jurgen Klopp’s side off guard and ten Hag secured his first win as manager as a result. The victory paved way for United’s current winning run, which extended to four games after their 3-1 triumph over Arsenal on Sunday.

Questionable refereeing and Arsenal’s impressive display in defeat were two major talking points from Old Trafford, but ten Hag also deserves a ton of credit for facilitating United’s victory with a measured gameplan that manifested his pragmatism and coherent possession structure.

How Erik ten Hag’s pragmatism helped Manchester United down Arsenal 3-1

United were brilliant in the opening ten minutes, pinning Arsenal back and combining around the Gunners in their half. It was a confident opening before Gabriel Martinelli’s ruled-out opener turned the tide.

From there on out, an Arsenal side that are much further along in their project than United took control of the contest.

Although, it was the home side who grabbed the lead through debutant Antony. Devastating quality from Christian Eriksen, who dropped into a deeper role to service Bruno Fernandes, combined with a myriad of Arsenal defensive errors allowed the Brazilian to get off to the perfect start at the aptly named Theatre of Dreams.

The dynamic of the bout didn’t alter after the restart and, I must admit, United never compact enough in their mid/low block. Arsenal were able to sustain attacks at will and Bukayo Saka’s equaliser on the hour was inevitable as the hosts failed time and time again to get up the pitch.

However, ten Hag refused to panic and he instead made a pair of substitutions that helped shape the remainder of the contest. At 1-1, the Gunners still enjoyed much of the ball, but the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo gave United a focal point in attack and the removal of Antony forced Marcus Rashford wide.

Ten Hag had prepared Fred to come on, too, but United had restored their advantage before he entered proceedings. Once again, Eriksen and Fernandes made the most of Thomas Partey’s absence to kill the Gunners in transition. Fernandes’ inch-perfect pass compromised William Saliba and set Rashford on his way. 2-1.

These weren’t hit and hope counter-attacks, they were well-constructed with ten Hag smartly identifying Arsenal’s weakness in defensive transition given Sambi Lokonga’s sub-par positional sense and Granit Xhaka’s lack of athleticism.

The timing of United’s second was huge as Fred was introduced to add some much-needed tenacity in the middle of the park (Arsenal had so much space in midfield after half-time, especially on the edge of the box), while Mikel Arteta, in complete contrast to his counterpart, was thrust into a state of frenzy. United’s goal had come against the run of play, and it ‘forced’ Arteta into a triple substitution.

This ploy was successful just last week against Fulham, but the manager’s attempt to shift to a back three left them totally exposed against a side of United’s transitional capacity. Within 90 seconds of the triple sub, Eriksen waltzed in behind an unorganised high defensive line before squaring to Rashford who took the game away from the Gunners.

Now, this wasn’t a case of ten Hag outwitting Arteta as such, but the Dutchman was cool under pressure and he demonstrated an ability to change the momentum of a contest with his in-game management.

Labelling Sunday’s victory over the Gunners as a masterclass from the United manager would be an exaggeration given just how much control Arsenal had at Old Trafford. But ten Hag proved once again that he isn’t a manager wedded to any particular principles. He’s flexible, and such versatility is already paying dividends during the formative stage of his Manchester United reign.