Olivier Giroud Bails Out Poor Arsenal in Old Trafford Draw

In a few days' time, Arsenal fans may come to think kindly on this result. After all, they grabbed a last-minute goal to deny Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United a hugely valuable win. However, any satisfaction at denying Arsene Wenger’s nemesis the victory will be tempered by concerns over quite how poor Arsenal were. This was one of their most uninspiring performances of the season.

It started with the selection. Carl Jenkinson was the unsurprising choice to replace the injured Hector Bellerin, but Arsenal fans hoping that the English full-back would have been vastly improved by 18 months on loan with West Ham United will have been left disappointed.

The gulf in class between Jenkinson and Bellerin remains substantial. Perhaps Wenger will have to consider recalling the estranged Mathieu Debuchy to the first-team squad until the Spaniard returns.

Alexis Sanchez was passed fit to start up top, but Gunners supporters will have been alarmed at the sheer amount of strapping on his suspect hamstring. Alexis did not exert his usual influence on the game, and it’s tempting to suggest he was inhibited by his physical state. However, that wasn’t the only factor: The Chilean was guilty of dropping deep too often, leaving Arsenal without a focal point in attack.

It was in midfield that Wenger’s biggest calls came. Mohamed Elneny was reintroduced alongside Francis Coquelin, while Aaron Ramsey came in for Alex Iwobi on the left-hand side. Elneny is a competent player, but it was unclear exactly what Granit Xhaka had done to warrant being dropped.

In his last outing against Tottenham Hotspur, the Switzerland international helped Arsenal to edge the midfield battle. In the absence of both Santi Cazorla and Xhaka, Arsenal’s range of passing from the base of midfield was not quite so varied.

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As for Ramsey, he had a torrid time out on the left. It’s not a drastically different role to the one he has played successfully on the right, but his unfamiliarity with that part of the pitch meant he struggled throughout. Not only did Ramsey fail to make an attacking imprint on the game, but he also had real problems containing the marauding runs of United right-back Antonio Valencia.

However, Arsenal’s problems extended well beyond the XI Wenger picked. There were still plenty of quality players on the field, yet Arsenal struggled to put together a coherent move. They were edgy at the back and lifeless in attack. The Gunners have arguably not played this poorly since the opening-day defeat to Liverpool.

Arsenal sent passes astray, missed tackles and were generally lacking in ideas. For long periods of the game, they barely mustered a shot on goal. David De Gea can’t have had too many easier days at Old Trafford—and he played in the dominating sides that Sir Alex Ferguson coached. That was a different United, yet Arsenal made this makeshift back four look every bit as imperious.

Watching on the sidelines, Wenger wondered whether he issue was a psychological one. Asked about the possibility of his team having a “mental block” at Old Trafford, he told Sky Sports (h/t ESPN):

"

It's funny you tell me that because I wondered during the game about that. And honestly, you never know.

In the second half in the first 20 minutes we suffered. We came out of the dressing room in the second half, I think we suffered for 20 minutes and they deserved to be in front. Last year we would have lost maybe this game and today we didn't lose it. So we have improved on that front.

"

It’s true that Arsenal deserve a measure of credit for the manner in which they fought back to claim a point. When Juan Mata swept home the opening goal, it appeared that would be more than enough for a United win—Arsenal were offering nothing.

If Wenger’s starting selection could be questioned, he deserves applause for making smart substitutions. The introduction of Olivier Giroud was an obvious call, but onlookers may have raised eyebrows at the decision to deploy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a right-back.

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The switch paid huge dividends, as Oxlade-Chamberlain showed athleticism and skill to drive to the byline before hanging up a cross that Giroud powered home in trademark fashion. Afterwards, Wenger praised the impact of the players who came off the bench. When he spoke to Sky Sports (h/t ESPN), he was determined to emphasise the positives for Arsenal:

"

The result in the end is positive for us because we were 1-0 down with two minutes to go.

For the rest it was a bit of a scrappy game with two teams well organised who defended well. Our passing was not quick enough, our penetration was not there and in the end we looked like we had good possession of the ball but not many chances. In the second half we suffered for the first 20 minutes and they deserved to be in front.

The players who came on made a massive difference today. When you are 1-0 down and come back to 1-1 of course you have to feel happy. We lacked a bit of sharpness today, what is it down to I don't know, but at least we came back.

"

Wenger’s attempts to be upbeat are understandable—Arsenal have a huge match against Paris Saint-Germain next week and cannot afford a period of self-doubt or introspection. However, behind closed doors, he will surely harbour concerns over the fact that in two huge matches against Spurs and United, they’ve failed to perform to anything like their potential. 

November is traditionally a tricky time for Arsenal, and so in some respects, perhaps they should be delighted to remain unbeaten in this most perilous of months. However, Wenger must know that record will not last much longer if Arsenal continue to underperform so dramatically. They got away with a disappointing performance against United. In isolation, a draw at Old Trafford isn’t a bad result. 

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.