Arsenal – Manchester United: A Season of Stagnation Stalls Further (1-1, 3-5 After Penalties)
The final phase of a footballing process involves glory and Mikel Arteta's best bet was the only major trophy of his time in the dugout. However, he has hardly excelled in the FA Cup in the last four years and a painful pattern continued. As the strains of the schedule increase in the following days, might the manager be under the most pressure that he has seen in a long time?
Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.
It has barely been a month since these two fallen giants last locked horns, but this domestic cup competition could already be the best way to save what pride remains of both their campaigns.
Arsenal are already staring down the barrel of another barren attempt at Premier League glory. The new year began brightly with a 3-1 win at Brentford, but Brighton were the latest test the team failed to pass at a point when errors are not permissible. To make matters worse, a 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on home soil shredded hopes of a return to Wembley in the Carabao Cup final. If a trophy is the ultimate target of their season, the FA Cup appeared to be the biggest hope for Mikel Arteta's men.
The . . .
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