Erik ten Hag repeated his mistake in Manchester United defeat to Arsenal

Alejandro Garnacho charged towards one corner and Casemiro sprinted quicker to the throng of Manchester United fans. Andre Onana raced into the Arsenal half, urging his teammates to maintain their concentration. The United analysts cheered loudly, thumping desks. Arsenal fans started to trudge up the gangway in the 88th minute.

But there was no goal. Not for United. The momentum shift was drastic and cheered by Arsenal fans as though they had scored a goal. Eleven minutes later, Declan Rice did.

United ended the match with Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans as their starting centre halves. The 35-year-old Evans was all over the place for Rice's 96th-minute winner that he inadvertently deflected in. United complained vehemently yet there was nothing to complain about.

That United were denied their euphoria did not completely quieten their followers, still chanting defiantly as the game ticked into added time. "Oh United, we love you," they sang. Only the Arsenal fans were audible at the game's conclusion.

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When Gabriel Jesus added gloss, Aaron Ramsdale could not resist and waltzed into the United half to instruct his teammates to maintain their focus, deriding Onana.

It will feel cruel to those United supporters who embraced one another under the belief they had nicked it via Garnacho's one-on-one. They also had to stomach Arsenal's cringing celebrations at full-time to Vanilla Ice. The Emirates has never been a bearpit.

Yet United treated it as one. Their game plan was too limited as they targeted Arsenal through breakaways with an attack that was blunted by the wrong striker selection for the fourth game running.

United were too reliant on Marcus Rashford, who attempted to