Are Man Utd Quietly Following Arsenal’s Blueprint for a Premier League Takeover Under Ruben Amorim?
In a simulated match offering a direct comparison between managers and players, Ruben Amorim and Manchester United were significantly outperformed by their Crystal Palace equivalents in the first half.
However, they capitalized on the home team’s struggles after halftime to secure a win.
While Jean-Philippe Mateta powerfully penetrated the United defense, Joshua Zirkzee struggled to make an impact at the other end.
Maxence Lacroix easily contained the Red Devils’ attack, delivering a dominant performance in stark contrast to Matthijs de Ligt, who appeared intimidated by the Palace striker.
Luke Shaw moved with a lack of urgency, as did Marc Guehi, but the latter displayed a superior confidence and skill, unlike the former’s showing.
The most striking difference emerged in the center of the field. Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes consistently aimed passes at spots where their teammates should have been, or perhaps were intended to be, but were conspicuously absent.
Trending
Often, these passes landed directly at the feet of Crystal Palace players. In stark comparison, Adam Wharton and Daichi Kamada demonstrated the proper way for a midfield duo to operate effectively.
Wharton is undoubtedly the key player in that partnership. His clever, angled pass to Mateta – leading to the penalty when Leny Yoro fouled the striker – was just one illustration in the first half of his proactive, forward-thinking approach and his skill in executing it.
While Casemiro and Fernandes lingered on the ball, Wharton and Kamada (to a smaller, yet significant degree) denied their opponents the chance to dispossess them, a mistake the United pair frequently made.
This works because, unlike the United players, they possess a more well-rounded skillset, capable of contributing in all facets of the game, even if their individual strengths vary.
The crystal palace striker was unlucky not to have added a few more goals to his tally, and Crystal Palace arguably deserved to be leading by a greater margin at halftime.
In contrast, Eddie Nketiah seemed to struggle, squandering a golden chance to score right before the whistle. At that point, a Manchester United recovery appeared highly improbable.
They showed improvement after the restart and displayed the kind of “determination” the manager had been urging them to find following their loss to Everton.
Most importantly, the players seemed to be putting in the effort for the sake of the boss.
However, it seemed that United’s dominance in the second half was primarily because Palace’s energy levels were dropping, rather than a significant increase in United’s own level of play.
Oliver Glasner’s team had struggled for form in the Premier League following their Thursday night Europa Conference League matches.
Prior to this game, they had failed to secure a victory in their last three league encounters, suffering defeats against Everton and Arsenal, and managing only a draw against Brighton.
After their recent 2-1 loss away to Strasbourg, they appeared to be completely exhausted.
A significant portion of the lineup, specifically eight players, who started the midweek game were also in the starting eleven for this match.
Although Wharton’s playing time was limited to an hour in France, his diminished performance in the second half was evident, similar to that of other players.
Consequently, he was substituted with fifteen minutes remaining as Palace sought to level the score, following Casemiro and Fernandes’ assertion of dominance in the latter part of the game.
Zirkzee likely wouldn’t have continued playing after halftime if Amorim had any suitable substitutes available. In fact, he might not have even started the match under different circumstances.
However, he scored a brilliant goal from Fernandes’ free-kick, skillfully controlling the ball with his chest before powerfully shooting it past Dean Henderson from a difficult angle.
Despite this decisive moment, Zirkzee’s overall performance suggested he’s not the long-term solution for United.
Nevertheless, his contribution proved crucial. Similarly, Mason Mount’s well-placed shot, following a short pass from Fernandes from another free-kick, allowed United to equalize with Arsenal in terms of goals scored from set plays this season, reaching a total of ten.
Drawing inspiration from a tactic frequently employed by Arsenal to secure Premier League victories this season, United complemented their goals from set pieces with resilient defensive play.
