Manchester United exhibited a severe lack of creativity and drive as they slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
From the start of the match, it was the away team that appeared to be in the driving seat, dictating the flow of play as Man United appeared content to sit back and allow the match to unfold according to Arsenal’s will.
Unfortunately, it was the off-form Casemiro who once again proved to be at the heart of United’s problems as their dismal form as of late continued.
Of his several errors, Casemiro’s worst moment of the match came in the 20th minute, when Arsenal grabbed the only goal of the match. While the Brazilian had dropped far behind the rest of the United defence, he somehow was unable to track back in time to mark Leandro Trossard.
As Kai Havertz made his way into the box, Andre Onana had little choice other than to cover him as he laid the ball off to Trossard, who slotted the ball into the abandoned net. Had Casemiro been more alert, this situation may not have unfolded.
In his new position at centre-back, the Brazilian made three tackles and three clearances. He did not, however, make any interceptions nor block any shots.
One of the more positive aspects of his performance was that he was never dribbled past.
Probably Casemiro’s shining moment in defence was when Gabriel Martinelli weaved his way past the United defence near the final whistle. While he appeared to be on goal, Casemiro stopped Martinelli in his tracks, putting out a leg and tackling his fellow Brazilian to extinguish the danger.
Casemiro’s passing game was respectable, completing 66 of 81 attempted passes for an 81% passing accuracy. His long balls left a lot to be desired, with only six of the 15 finding their target, while both of his attempted crosses were inaccurate.
He also proved strong on the ball, winning seven of his eight total duels.
On the attack, Casemiro had a fair amount of involvement, particularly when compared to his teammates.
In the second half, Casemiro took a shot from distance that the Arsenal keeper saved. Disappointingly, this was only United’s first accurate shot of the match. He also had one of his shots blocked.
Ultimately, it was another poor performance from an ageing Casemiro, whose future at Old Trafford appears to be in jeopardy. Struggling as both a centre-mid and centre-back this season, the Brazilian appears unable to deliver value to his team from any position, thereby testing the patience of fans and pundits alike.
(Stats via Sofascore)
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