Manchester United vs Arsenal - Premier League RECAP: Gunners FIFTEEN points adrift of Liverpool after being held at Old Trafford as Bruno Fernandes' fine free-kick is cancelled out

Manchester United look desperately short of quality. The level of incompetence in their recruitment never ceases to amaze.

The exception to that is Bruno Fernandes. 'We need more Brunos,' Ruben Amorim just said in his post-match press conference and he is absolutely right.

Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, speaking to Sky Sports:

When we had the first half that we had where we were exceptional, we didn't test the keeper. We had some unbelievable situations but we didn't get the last shot or the last pass. We didn't capitalise, we rushed the game, we started to lose duels and we could have ended up losing

We tried in various ways but ultimately the execution there has to be in the right moment, with the right weight of pass, into the right player to execute. And it's true that we have a lot of situations in the second half, I think we have three or four big chances. But very frustrating as well, how we conceded certain transition moments is not good enough.it.

Sometimes that is what is missing. The execution has to be in to the right player and the right player to shoot. How we conceded [chances] in certain moments was not acceptable. They have so much quality and they pick the right player and normally that would end in a goal.

We opened the gate to lose the game. there was no chance to lose the game and we opened it ourselves. I will defend my players all the time but in those moments we have to do better.

Gary Neville, former Man United captain, on Sky Sports:

He [Mikel Arteta] was agitated. He was agitated walking over to the Arsenal fans at the end. The biggest inquest will be - 'why did we not sign a striker?' Did he [Arteta] not want one?

Phoar... Mikel Arteta is not a happy bunny in the slightest.

The Spaniard has just charged out of his interview with Sky Sports after being asked about the Premier League title.

You could already tell he was agitated as the interview went on, mainly because of his player's performance more than anything.

But his anger just spilled over as he tried to leave early before eventually storming out.

Not the best of looks, eh?

I will bring you the quotes very soon, and you can try and imagine him in an angry tone of voice as you read them.

Anybody that had their hands up in the earlier post about Arsenal's title chances, you may want to avoid this post.

For those of you who have accepted that it's Liverpool's 20th title now, then you may want to read this post.

As Oliver said, Liverpool just need 20 points form their nine remaining matches to win the title. After I read him write that, I knew many of you would want to know what those games were.

So, with that being said, here is the Reds' Premier League schedule:

• Everton (H), 2 April
• Fulham (A), 6 April
• West Ham (H), 13 April
• Leicester (A), 20 April
• Tottenham (H), 27 April
• Chelsea (A), 3 May
• Arsenal (H), 10 May
• Brighton (A), 18 May
• Crystal Palace (H), 25 May

Arsenal scored seven times in Eindhoven on Tuesday night. On Sunday at Old Trafford, they looked rather like a team that had got all its goals out of its system, a team that knows, for all the defiant words they conjure that, as far as their attempt to win the Premier League is concerned, the jig was up some time ago.

It is to their credit, perhaps, that they came from a goal down to play their part in a rousing finale in which both teams could have stolen a victory when neither quite deserved it but when the final whistle went, the table showed they lie 15 points adrift of Liverpool with only one game in hand. They know that is not a battle they can win any more.

Liverpool only need a maximum of 16 points from their last nine fixtures to seal their 20th league title, bringing them level with Manchester United's tally. They are champions elect. Their coronation is a formality.

Declan Rice, Arsenal goalscorer, speaking to Sky Sports:

In the first half, we had some beautiful bits of play but didn't have that cutting edge. In the second half, we were very naive and almost gave the game to Man United. To get back in the game and to score and keep pushing. It's probably a fair point in the end. We scored seven midweek, and that's not luck. PSV hadn't lost at home for two years. Man United did well and sat in the low block well. it can take 90 minutes to break that down.

There wasn't much in the game. I've not seen the [United] goal back. It felt like the ball flew over us at a low height. It [the wall for the free-kick] did feel far back. Anthony [Taylor] is the ref, he makes that decision. In the first half, we had some beautiful bits of play but didn't have that cutting edge. In the second half, we were very naive and almost gave the game to Man United. To get back in the game and to score and keep pushing. It's probably a fair point in the end.

The chance at the end with Bruno and David making two great saves, that's why I say that naivety. it was down to us and we could have thrown the game away. Like the manager said, we'll keep going until the end of the season. Liverpool have been amazing all year. We won't give up, we're Arsenal. We've been hit hard by injuries. We'll keep going and we'll be alright.

On his celebrations for the goal and tackle on Hojlund:

I was happy. I think it's a bit of football banter between me and the fans. It's an area I want to keep getting in and I've been creating more chances. I need to keep adding goals. The manager wants to play me at number eight to add goals and assists. That defensive mentality [too], I just reacted and if I was slow, Hojlund put that in the net.

No matter how bad Manchester United get, at least they have Bruno Fernandes, right?

Yet again, the United captain delivered for his team today just when they needed him to.

I mean, he always does.

Fernandes' first half free-kick means he has now been directly involved in 25+ goals in each of the last three seasons.

He was struggling a lot in the early parts of the campaign, but he has now notched up 12 goals and 13 assists. I know; it surprised me too.

The midfielder is one of only three players to have done so for a Premier League club, along with Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland.

I don't want to be too cliche, but where would United be without him?

Look, I know I have been bashing Arsenal quite a lot in this blog, but now it's Manchester United's turn.

Don't worry; it's nothing too brutal.

I didn't realise how bad their recent record against Arsenal was until I saw this Opta statistic.

United are now winless in their last six games against Arsenal across all competitions, only drawing two of those.

That's their longest run without beating them since April 1999, which was also a run of six.

It does show how the fortunes of the two sides have switched, but we have known that for a very long time.

I don't want to feed into the rhetoric that United's standards should be the same as they used to be, like Roy Keane does; that's just not realistic.

But at the same time, they do need to start beating some of the top teams. They just don't do that anymore.

They have fallen pretty damn far.

Paul Merson, former Arsenal forward, on Sky Sports:

It is a worry now until the end of the season. I look at the games and they need to score goals but there are no goals in them.

Manchester City have some nice fixtures coming up, they are in fifth at the moment and could catch Arsenal.

Personally, I think they do.

Look, the title is gone; we all know that. They are 15 points behind Liverpool and only have one game in hand.

The Reds only need five wins and a draw to be crowned champions, and that's only if Arsenal win all their games.

Let's be honest; who sees Arsenal winning all of their games, put your hands up. I don't have my hand up, that's for sure.

They are now only four points above third placed Nottingham Forest and eight above Manchester City in fifth.

I'd be stunned if Arsenal didn't make the Champions League, but they do need to be careful.

If the Gunners continue to drop points, it may start to get a bit twitchy.