Times report:
Arsenal outfought by Sheffield United as Chris Wilder hands Unai Emery a lesson
Arsenal and Unai Emery need to take a long look at themselves after their latest defeat on the road and they also need to look at the urgency and organisation of Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United. Emery’s side deservedly lost to opponents who wanted it more.
Mattéo Guendouzi fought hard for the visitors but Arsenal had nobody like John Egan and Jack O’Connell, defending with their lives. They had nobody of John Fleck’s industry and invention in midfield. There is a fearlessness and strong camaraderie to Wilder’s side. They have drawn at Chelsea, won at Everton, lost narrowly to Liverpool, and have now beaten Arsenal at a raucous Bramall Lane. They got away with an offence missed by Mike Dean and VAR, Egan’s pull on Sokratis’s shirt, but deserved this win secured by Lys Mousset.
Mousset cost £10 million from Bournemouth, hardly extravagant, but then there is Egan, £4 million from Brentford, Fleck, a free transfer from Coventry City, the captain Ollie Norwood, £2 million from Brighton & Hove Albion, and on it goes, David McGoldrick, a free from Ipswich Town, Chris Basham, a free from Blackpool and Enda Stevens, a free from Portsmouth. Dean Henderson, a future Manchester United and England goalkeeper, is on loan from Old Trafford, trusted to play and develop under Wilder.
With a team built on a shoe-string now ninth in the table, Wilder is a master at team-building and mood- setting, utterly schooling Emery, whose starting line-up was too cautious. Kieran Tierney needs bedding in at left back, Rob Holding in the centre, Lucas Torreira brings more energy than Granit Xhaka, while Alexandre Lacazette began on the bench.
If Emery’s line-up had caused some confusion, his stance on Mesut Özil was made very clear, with no sign of the German World Cup winner in the matchday squad despite being talked up by the manager. “He has skills and qualities we will need in the next matches,” Emery had said. “Now, I feel really good about him.” Not good enough to involve him, though.
Emery’s chosen ones were far too timid in the first half. They did manage three chances before the break, but Nicolas Pépé wasted Sead Kolasinac’s perfect cross with a fluffed shot wide. Bukayo Saka tumbled when catching Egan’s heel, one of those moments that was neither penalty nor simulation. Mike Dean brandished the yellow and then, to much local mirth, also booked Emery’s coach, Freddie Ljungberg, for arguing with Wilder’s coaching cohorts, not the wisest of moves. Arsenal’s most impressive moment before the break came when Xhaka chested down a clearance 35 yards out and sent one of his sweeping half-volleys arrowing goalwards but Henderson had anticipated well and dived to his left to save.
Barring the usual healthy contingent of Arsenal’s travelling support, Bramall Lane loved the visitors’ first-half discomfort. They tore through the Greasy Chip Butty song, as if they couldn’t wait to get stuck into Arsenal. Fans kept leaping from their seats, screaming their support. Many were already on their feet anyway, willing the team on.
Wilder’s players needed little prompting. They sensed vulnerability in the visitors, and went for them relentlessly, mixing passing patterns and long balls. Fleck drove Wilder’s team forward. The football was good, the application faultless. Arsenal could not cope with the pressing, the hunger. When Guendouzi managed to clear, Wilder was so quick to the ball as it flew into his dugout. United were all about momentum, giving Arsenal no time.
They deservedly took the lead when Stevens won a corner on the left, which Norwood delivered to the far post in what was clearly a well-worked move. Arsenal were completely caught out as O’Connell appeared around the back, eluding Calum Chambers, heading back across for Mousset to sidefoot home from close range. As clever as the move was, it was shocking marking.
Emery does believe in his young players, and the sight of Joe Willock and Saka being given a chance deserves applauding, but Willock, a promising 20-year-old, was a little boy lost and was replaced by the more experienced Dani Ceballos at the break. Arsenal looked marginally better, and attacked with more urgency, but Wilder’s defence was too strong and organised.
They did not simply sit deep and defend. McGoldrick and John Lundstram worked the ball to the excellent Fleck, whose shot hit the side-netting. Fleck then let fly from 25 yards, Bernd Leno spilling but clutching the loose ball. Wilder’s substitutions were positive: Billy Sharp, replacing Mousset, looked a man on a mission on his return from suspension, harrying Arsenal; Luke Freeman, who spent four seasons at Arsenal without an appearance, came on for McGoldrick; then Oli McBurnie arrived for Norwood with the substitute hounding Sokratis and Saka.
Nerves and frustration continued to course through Emery, who took off Xhaka for Lacazette and then Pépé, who flickered only briefly with danger, for Gabriel Martinelli. Arsenal were now 4-2-3-1 with Guendouzi and Ceballos in midfield, Martinelli on the left, Saka in the hole, Aubameyang on the right and Lacazette in the middle. It was attacking and one wondered why Emery does not start this way.
Still Wilder’s defence stood firm. When Aubamayeng flicked to Lacazette, the outstanding O’Connell stepped in and cleared. When Martinelli did try to dash down the left, he was eased into touch by George Baldock. It was not just non-stop defending by Wilder’s side, not with Fleck around, and his flick over Guendouzi lacked only an “olé” from the Kop.
Arsenal were getting desperate, and Chambers shot wide. They tried to summon up some fight, some hope of an equaliser, but when Ceballos curled over a corner as the game entered five minutes of additional time, the imperious Egan headed clear. Guendouzi raged against the fading of Arsenal’s light, against the pain of another away defeat, another sign of their brittle nature. Guendouzi battled but few of his team-mates did, certainly not with the intensity of Wilder’s players.
Arsenal have lost four out of their past seven away games against newly promoted sides – as many defeats as in their previous 49 such games.
How they rated
Sheffield United (3-5-2): D Henderson 8 — C Basham 7, J Egan 7, J O’Connell 7 — G Baldock 7, J Lundstram 6, O Norwood 7 (sub: O McBurnie 85min), J Fleck 9, E Stevens 7 — D McGoldrick 7 (sub: L Freeman 78), L Mousset 7 (sub: B Sharp 56, 6). Substitutes not used C Robinson, P Jagielka, S Moore, M Besic. Booked Fleck, O’Connell, McGoldrick, Henderson.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1): B Leno 6 — C Chambers 6, Sokratis 5, D Luiz 6, S Kolasinac 5 — M Guendouzi 5, G Xhaka 6 (sub: A Lacazette 69, 6) — N Pépé 5 (sub: G Martinelli 78), J Willock 5 (sub: D Ceballos 46, 6) B Saka 6 — P-E Aubameyang 6. Substitutes not used E Martínez, R Holding, K Tierney, L Torreira. Booked Saka, Kolasinac, Sokratis, Chambers.
Referee M Dean.
