%20rotate(-8.06)%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22336.19%20136.81%20330.16%2094.25%20326.06%2071.19%20326.44%2071.13%20335.22%2093.54%20352.29%20134.52%20373.95%20131.46%20362.7%2052.01%20350.02%2053.8%20356.05%2096.36%20360.15%20119.42%20359.77%20119.48%20350.99%2097.08%20333.91%2056.09%20312.25%2059.15%20323.51%20138.6%20336.19%20136.81%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22402.91%2059.3%20412.36%20126.02%20427.17%20123.92%20417.72%2057.21%20431.59%2055.24%20429.79%2042.51%20387.23%2048.53%20389.04%2061.27%20402.91%2059.3%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22463.51%20118.77%20458.69%2084.71%20474.68%2082.44%20479.51%20116.5%20494.36%20114.4%20483.11%2034.95%20468.26%2037.06%20472.96%2070.25%20456.96%2072.52%20452.26%2039.32%20437.4%2041.43%20448.65%20120.88%20463.51%20118.77%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22540.5%20107.87%20538.77%2095.68%20518.91%2098.49%20515.77%2076.29%20535.63%2073.47%20533.93%2061.5%20514.07%2064.32%20511.11%2043.42%20530.98%2040.61%20529.25%2028.42%20494.53%2033.34%20505.78%20112.78%20540.5%20107.87%22%2F%3E%0A%20%20%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22cls-1%22%20points%3D%22299.03%20155.17%20301.29%20171.58%20542.78%20138.39%20540.5%20121.97%20299.03%20155.17%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E)
Arsenal was so close to being hit between the eyes with a harsh reality after failing to take its chances against Manchester United.
Arsenal was nearly the victim of a brutal football lesson at Old Trafford against Manchester United. After a dominant first half, the Gunners somehow found themselves behind right on the stroke of halftime.
Bruno Fernandes' free kick beat David Raya and after keeping United at bay, the Gunners were then forced to play catch-up - which they did with Declan Rice's superb goal.
But the Gunners also have Raya to thank as he produced three superb saves. One to keep the score at 1-0 and the other two to preserve Arsenal's point in what is now looming as a battle to consolidate top four.
Arsenal close to harsh reality vs. United
Had Raya not managed to keep out Joshua Zirkzee and Fernandes in stoppage time, the Gunners would have left Old Trafford with nothing after clearly being the better team over the duration of 90 minutes.
That is what Mikel Arteta has to guard against, and had the hosts managed to find a winner, then the amounts of frustration would be clear to see.
"We gave some very unusual balls away and very basic things were done really poorly," Arteta said via arsenal.com. "Even thought we had three big chances, the reality is that David saved us and at the end, we could have lost the game."
Yes, Mikel, that is the reality.
For all of Arsenal's great work in the first half (aside from the goal) and into the second, the entire game boiled down to a couple of world class saves from Raya to keep his team's head above water.
It has been a common theme for the Gunners this year as they have dropped points in games where they were clearly the better side and created a host of chances, but failed to take any of them.
If only there were a striker out there who could have helped in January, right?
Now, with PSV midweek, the Gunners must pick themselves up and nail home their 7-1 advantage from the first leg before welcoming Chelsea to the Emirates at the weekend.
Yes, the Gunners will take the draw, but the reality is it should have been three and was so close to missing out on anything altogether.
Those are the find margins that have doomed this Arsenal side time and time again.