Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Arsenal Loss, Diamond Issues & Poor Old Trafford Form
By Tom Gott
After a 5-0 win over RB Leipzig had them flying high, Manchester United came crashing back down to earth on Sunday as they fell to a 1-0 loss to Arsenal.
The Red Devils were second-best throughout the game and eventually succumbed to a penalty from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who stepped up to convert after Paul Pogba carelessly brought down Héctor Bellerín.
Here's what manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to say after the game.
On a Lack of Intensity & Consistency
“In the first half, we never turned up," he said (via the club's official website). "The intensity, the tempo wasn't there, the shape - they were better than us and created a couple of half-decent chances. In the second half, they didn't look like they were going to score, apart from the penalty. So we played better in the second half but still we have to turn up with more intensity.
“We know there's a reason behind big squads in football. You want to perform time and time again but it's not possible. With the highs of the PSG game, it was a little bit okay against Chelsea and we were very good against Leipzig. We're down again today and it's the consistency.
"That is the amount of players we've got and, today, we didn't get the response we hoped for.”
On What Went Wrong for the Diamond
Just like they did against Leipzig, United lined up with four central midfielders in a diamond formation, but things did not go according to plan this time.
Solskjaer said: “The formation is down to the opposition. It depends on the team you play against and how you execute that shape yourself. Of course, today we were too sloppy, too many passes went astray and the rotations weren't there. Too many things can go wrong in a game of football that maybe went wrong for us.”
On the Penalty
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The midfielder brings down Hector Bellerin in the box and Mike Dean points to the spot!
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Pogba bundled into Bellerín to give away a soft penalty, and the Frenchman has already apologised for what he felt was a 'stupid mistake'.
“He's got to stay on his feet there – [Bellerín] is on his way out of the box and Paul knows it's a soft penalty to give away," the manager admitted. "Similar to Nemanja [Matić], who almost got a penalty and there was more contact there than what Paul makes, but that’s another decision.”
On Poor Home Form
United are yet to win a Premier League game at Old Trafford this season, drawing once and losing three times, with the Leipzig victory still the only win the team have picked up at home.
“Home and away form is out of the window really with no fans in the stadium," Solskjaer claimed. "Definitely, 100% it is a big factor. You can't really look at that and you can just look at the stats to see the amount of away wins compared to home wins. It's maybe 60-40 to away from home. So that home form and away form doesn't really mean too much.
"We played fantastically on Wednesday night and now we lose. We need to get points on board. Last season, as well, we didn't get the third win until the 10th game and now we're six games in and it's only two wins. We need to focus on next week and Everton.”
On Progress Made in His 100 Games
The Arsenal loss came on Solskjaer's 100th game in charge of United, and many fans have questioned what impact the boss has actually had on the team in that time.
He added: “It's not my job to say - it's probably for everyone else to say. Me, I'm just keeping on the work for the next one. For me, there’s a good group that wants to win, that wants to go forward, that wants to work hard and today they go home disappointed. I know these boys and they'll get back at it.”