Arsenal have just made exactly the same mistake Manchester United made with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

It would be a little bit of an understatement to say Manchester United have failed to reach the heights the fans expected of them this season. At the start of the campaign, some believed United could possibly challenge for the title and add some much-needed silverware to the trophy cabinet - then it all went wrong.

The best United can hope for is a sixth-place finish and with the appointment of Erik ten Hag, the club's project will have to start all over again. The young team that it was hoped would eventually challenge for trophies under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now a distant memory.

One of the sides United were forced to battle it out with for a place in the top four after their 'title tilt' was torn to shreds was Arsenal. The Gunners' defeat to Newcastle on Monday night looks to have sent their top-four push in the same direction as United's, and fans at Old Trafford will have started to notice some eerie similarities between Arsenal's plight and their own not so long ago.

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Mikel Arteta has recently signed a contract extension in north London, just like Solskjaer did at United in the summer. But with the Gunners losing 2-0 at Newcastle, a top-four finish that would have signified clear progression is now out of their hands.

If Solskjaer had won the Europa League final against Villarreal last term, the momentum of his project would have likely continued, especially with a second-place finish in the Premier League. But with one loss the narrative changed. Questions started to be asked about whether the Norwegian was the right fit and those doubts started to permeate the squad.

Like United under Solskjaer, Arsenal also