Arsenal’s title hopes all but over after frustrating Old Trafford draw | OneFootball

Arsenal needed a statement win at Old Trafford. Instead, they left with another frustrating draw, their third in a row, and any lingering hopes of catching Liverpool all but extinguished.

Mikel Arteta insisted he would not concede the title, but the reality is clear. Arsenal are 15 points behind the leaders, and their struggles against deep-lying defences continue to cost them. The Champions League now looks like their best shot at silverware.

Manchester United, depleted by injuries, played as expected — cautiously, compactly, and with little ambition beyond containment. Ruben Amorim admitted it was not his preferred approach, but it has been the only way to grind out results.

For Arsenal, this was all too familiar. They dominated possession, controlled the tempo, and played most of the game in United’s half. But when it came to the final pass or the decisive moment, they faltered.

Declan Rice’s equaliser was a rare moment of quality. His curling finish was everything Arsenal had been lacking — precision, intent, and decisiveness in the final third. But by then, the damage had been done.

Bruno Fernandes had already punished Arsenal’s defensive lapse, scoring from a free-kick that raised questions about David Raya’s positioning. “Football is for clever people,” Arteta admitted, refusing to make excuses for the goal.

Raya, shaky throughout, redeemed himself late on with a scrambling save to deny Fernandes a winner. Arsenal had chances of their own — Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli tested Andre Onana — but the finishing was never clinical enough.

Arteta was visibly frustrated. “We lacked a little bit in the last 15 to 20 metres,” he said. “The game is clearly for us, but we didn’t show enough purpose and direction.”

The low block is becoming Arsenal’s kryptonite. Amorim admitted he had no choice but to sit deep, but Arsenal’s inability to break down defensive walls is their own problem.

Arteta knows this. “It’s not just about the number nine,” he said. “Everyone has to take responsibility, especially when we attack against so much density.”

The frustration is not just about this game — it is about a pattern. When Arsenal can play with space, they thrive. When they face a stubborn, compact defence, they struggle.

The title race is effectively over, but the season is not. Arsenal still have the Champions League, and that now becomes the priority. If they want a trophy this season, they need to find solutions — fast.