Ian Wright has picked out Alejandro Garnacho’s performance for criticism after Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, claiming the forward’s general ‘team play’ is ‘almost non-existent’.
Leandro Trossard’s 20th-minute strike proved the difference as Arsenal took a one-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table heading into the final week of the season.
Pep Guardiola’s champions – last year’s treble winners – can reclaim top spot tomorrow evening when they take on Arsenal’s bitter rivals Spurs at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
United started promisingly at Old Trafford, on the back of a dismal 4-0 loss away to Crystal Palace, but Trossard’s goal midway through the first half put the visitors in the driving seat and Erik ten Hag’s men had no answer.
Garnacho provided a threat out wide but was wasteful with his final ball and Arsenal legend Wright believes Mikel Arteta may intentionally have forced United to play through the young winger on the left flank.
‘We were watching Garnacho and you know the way Mikel and the guys really are meticulous in their preparation in what they’re doing… it seemed very strange for me that Garnacho is going to be the one is their saviour. He’s the one that’s gonna change things for Manchester United,’ the ex-Arsenal and England striker said on the Wrighty’s House podcast.
‘But some of his decisions… thinking back now, I’m thinking: I wonder if Arsenal made that happen so it could go to him.
‘I look at Garnacho and he’s a match-winner, he does great things, he’s a brilliant individual. But his team play and appreciation of others for a one-two or to play a ball, it’s almost non-existent in what he’s doing.
‘Some of the shots he was having and the one he had where he should have maybe hit the target was the one time where Arsenal nearly got that wrong.
‘But in the main, they shepherd him to places because they know he’s going to try and shoot from anywhere really.’
Analysing Sunday’s clash on The Rest Is Football podcast, Gary Lineker was similarly critical of Garnacho’s distinct lack of end product against the Premier League leaders.
‘Garnacho was a threat but his final ball was awful for the entire match I thought,’ the former England and Tottenham forward said.
‘But he is dangerous and all it needed was one where he cuts in and he could conceivably bend one in the top corner and then all of a sudden the title race is pretty much done really.’
Wright went on to highlight Trossard’s ‘elite’ movement to get in behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka as the away side made the crucial breakthrough in the first half at the Theatre of Dreams.
‘The movement for Trossard to get in front of Wan-Bissaka, who we know how good he is, then you look at Casemiro for his second involvement where he’s got to cut that channel where that ball comes across, you have to,’ Wright added.
‘But the level of Trossard’s arrival was elite. He sorted his feet out by the time he got there, he’s picked their pockets and he’s gone before they even know he’s done it.
‘He was in, bam, goal, gone. His movement to get in front of Wan-Bissaka, so he could finish that goal, was unbelievable.’
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