Paul Merson claims Arsenal ‘needed a Christian Eriksen’ to beat Manchester United

Paul Merson believes Arsenal were missing a player like Christian Eriksen during their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

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The Gunners suffered their first loss of the new season as Antony and a double from Marcus Rashford sealed the win for Erik ten Hag’s side.

Mikel Arteta praised Arsenal’s performance after the match, claiming that the game was ‘there for the taking’.

Merson was also buoyed by Arsenal’s display at Old Trafford but feels Arteta’s midfield needed a player with Eriksen’s vision and passing range to unpick United’s defence.

‘The first 15 minutes of the second half they [United] got ripped to shreds. Arsenal should have gone on and won it. It was so one-sided, the football match.

‘He was the difference, Eriksen. I thought he got run ragged by [Martin] Odegaard at times, I thought Odegaard was getting him, turning him and squaring him up, he was running the show.

‘But the thing with Eriksen that Arsenal haven’t got is that ball through the lines.

‘He did it in the first half with Fernandes for the first goal, and it did it for Fernandes again [for United’s second goal].

‘Arsenal haven’t got that. They’ve got [Bukayo] Saka and [Sambi] Lokonga, they’re not going to put the ball through the lines, that was the difference, for me, between the two sides, that was it, it was his [Eriksen’s] passing.

‘It’s the same old story, you come away from here and we’re like, ‘we’ve done well’.’

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Merson also criticised Arteta for making three