Erik ten Hag, Manchester United’s Manager, Expresses Frustration Over Late Decisions
North London, Manchester United left North London with a bitter taste in their mouths following a dramatic 3-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. Manager Erik ten Hag voiced his disappointment, stating that his team was extremely unlucky and felt that “everything went against” them during the match.
The contest appeared poised for a 1-1 draw until late goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus, deep into injury time, secured the victory for Arsenal. Manchester United had believed they were on the path to victory after Alejandro Garnacho found the net in the 88th minute. However, their joy was short-lived as VAR ruled the goal out for offside, a decision that left Ten Hag incensed.
“We have to improve, definitely,” said Ten Hag in an interview with Sky Sports. “But you see, as we’ve seen last year, we can beat everyone. It was such small margins today, so it could also have been in our favor. When Garnacho is finishing (for the disallowed goal), it’s a goal, and we’re winning this game. It was that close.”
Ten Hag strongly disagreed with VAR’s offside call, stating, “It was not offside. It was the wrong angle,” in reference to the video review.
The Manchester United manager highlighted what he perceived as several late officiating errors, notably a challenge from Arsenal defender Gabriel that resulted in newcomer Rasmus Hojlund going down, which Ten Hag argued should have been a penalty. He also pointed out that Gabriel seemed to impede Jonny Evans in the penalty area during Rice’s 96th-minute winner.
“It’s a penalty on Hojlund,” fumed Ten Hag. “And in the end, we concede a goal, and it’s a foul on Jonny Evans. It’s so clear and obvious.”
Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, acknowledged the disappointment of the loss. He commented, “We conceded the late goal after trying to secure a draw. It was a good game for both teams, but they ultimately earned the points.”
Fernandes added, “It is what it is. If it is an offside, we can’t change that. It was a good game, and I am disappointed by the result, but the team’s performance and passion were evident. If we maintain this level consistently, we will achieve results.”
As Manchester United enters the international break, they find themselves with just six points from four games, hoping to regroup and improve upon their performance in the coming fixtures.
