Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Man Utd

Arsenal's 1-1 draw away to Manchester United was more negative than positive, despite Declan Rice cancelling out a brilliant Bruno Fernandes free-kick.

Taking a solitary point at the expense of a sub-standard Manchester United can be viewed as a microcosm of Arsenal's Premier League season. Not to mention of the Mikel Arteta era as a whole.

There were things to admire. Namely, just enough supposedly misunderstood metrics to please the hipster set. A lot of quality work in transitions, some neat combinations on approach to the final third and a generally solid team shape off the ball.

You know, all of the things that have seen Arteta trumpeted as some sort of revolutionary force who's transformed Arsenal in a way Herbert Chapman, Bertie Mee, George Graham and Arsene Wenger can only dream of having done.

There's only one problem. Just a pesky little thing called reality. Inconvenient, for sure, but there's no escaping the plain fact Arteta and his team continue to promise more than they deliver.

The reason why is obvious. No cutting edge up top. Simples. This familiar deficiency explains why the Gunners bossed the game at Old Trafford, but ultimately needed some brilliance from Raya between the posts to preserve a point.

Saves from Raya bailed out an uninspired forward line undermined by a truly shocking performance from Trossard.

Positives & negatives from Arsenal's 1-1 draw away to Manchester United

Negative #1: Leandro Trossard

He had the reverse midas touch in Manchester. Everything Trossard touched turned to, well, it wasn't gold.

Trossard got it wrong almost each and every time he was even in close proximity to the ball. Every pass was inaccurate. Every touch heavy. Every decision foolhardy.

Somehow, as bad as he was, Trossard managed to stay on the pitch for the whole game. Not substituting the Belgian as early as possible was dereliction of duty from Arteta.

Trossard had already shirked his own responsibilities as the supposed senior and most capable member of a makeshift attack. He's been found wanting more than once this season as a player coasting by on reputation and the possibility of what he might do, not what he actually gets done.

In other words, Trossard can be the poster child for this Arteta-led project. Trossard's just-have-to-turn-up demeanour is in stark contrast to how Arsenal's goalscoring hero approached this match.

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