March 09, (THEWILL) – Arsenal failed to gain ground in the English Premier League title race following a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday. Declan Rice equalised for the Gunners in the 74th minute after Bruno Fernandes had given the hosts the lead with a free-kick just before half-time.
The result leaves Mikel Arteta’s side 15 points behind leaders Liverpool, who defeated Southampton 3-1 on Saturday. Arsenal, who have two games in hand on the Merseyside club, struggled to create meaningful opportunities in the first half and were punished when Fernandes beat David Raya with United’s first shot on target from 25 yards out.
Raya made amends early in the second half with crucial saves to deny Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee before Rice struck the equaliser, firing in off the far post from Jurrien Timber’s assist. The Spanish goalkeeper further proved his worth in stoppage time, making a remarkable double save to prevent Fernandes from scoring what would have been a late winner for United.
Liverpool now require just 16 more points to clinch the title, putting them on course to potentially confirm their triumph before facing Arsenal in seven matches’ time. The draw leaves United in 14th position with 34 points, continuing their disappointing campaign under Ruben Amorim.
The match marked a significant milestone for Arteta, who took charge of his 200th EPL game as Arsenal manager. The Spaniard has maintained a 59% win rate during this period, surpassing Arsene Wenger’s 55% but falling short of Pep Guardiola’s impressive 73% record across the same number of matches.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
