The visitors scored from yet another mistake from Casemiro who was slow to push up which allowed Kai Havertz to cross to Leandro Trossard to score.

United remain eighth and have now lost 19 games this season, the most since 1978/79 season and these include nine defeats at home, the joint-most in any of their seasons.

The Brazilian was at fault for most of the goals against Crystal Palace last week and question marks were raised about his dropping standards.

Casemiro at fault again

Former skipper Roy Keane even suggested that an academy player would be better than playing the former Real Madrid superstar in an unfamiliar role. And judging from the huge mistake, it would have been a better call.

The Brazil international is not the same force he was last season and this makeshift role is clearly eroding his confidence further and a parting of ways in the summer is expected.

Manager Erik ten Hag’s tactical deviation saw the team staying compact and defending in a low block rather than their usual high-transition chaos ball and it seemed to be a form of damage limitation after what transpired at Selhurst Park.

Sofyan Amrabat dropped deep to act as the third centre-back at times while Scott McTominay covered a lot of space which allowed Casemiro to progress with the ball and gave more cushion for his lapses.

But this shift in approach should have come quite a few games ago, especially considering the amount of injuries the team has suffered. It could have been the difference between the manager staying in the job or not.

Maybe this change was necessitated due to the game being against a team who are at the top of the league but if he had tweaked things earlier, the team could have come out on top in certain games or at worst, avoided some painful losses.

Happy with a 0-1 loss

The only issue was that this safety-first approach and injuries really affected the attack. The 20-time English league champions struggled without the creativity of Bruno Fernandes and due to Rasmus Hojlund’s inability to play well with his back to goal.

Alejandro Garnacho was too profligate again as the hosts only had two shots on target as preferred keeping the ball and playing it amongst themselves rather than take any risks even with the clock ticking down.

Even when Mikel Arteta’s team were looking like they were there for the taking, United remained timid and it always seemed like they were happy to have kept the damage down.

Most fans will be happy with a 0-1 loss considering how the season has unfolded. And with two more games left in the league, and keeping the FA Cup final against Manchester City in mind, the manager should keep playing this style in order to prevent major embarrassments.

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Manchester United fell to a 14th defeat of the Premier League season losing to Arsenal 0-1 at Old Trafford.

A first half goal by Leandro Trossard was enough to grab a vital three points and condemn United to another loss.

As the rain poured down in Manchester, the Red Devils trudged off the pitch knowing European football looks to be slipping away in the rear view mirror.

United huffed and puffed but ultimately couldn’t lay a glove on the Gunners, who looked like they never really got out of second gear.

One man who is acutely aware of how standards have fallen at Old Trafford is former captain Roy Keane.

Speaking to Sky Sports as a pundit, Keane admitted Arsenal deserved to win but he expressed once again his displeasure from what his former team served up.

“The disappointment for me in the last half an hour was United. Arsenal have come to Old Trafford over the years and found it difficult, but I bet Arsenal couldn’t believe how bad United were.”

The Red Devils had 55% possession and took 14 shots at the Gunners’ goal but despite the statistics, United never really threatened the league leaders.

“Whatever bits of possession they had, the end product and lack of quality – you talk about the great teams United had over the years, the players they’ve had. That last half an hour, decision-making, nobody digging anybody out, making mistakes, falling over, not putting demands on each other.”

“That United team there… they’re so bad.”

Commenting on Trossard’s goal Keane lambasted the Mancunian side’s defensive effort.

“It sums up United. They are obviously disjointed, there is no belief in what they are trying to do.”

The Irishman honed in on Casemiro once again for his poor play that was highlighted in the lackadaisical way he was caught well behind his side’s offside trap that gifted Kai Havertz a chance to create Arsenal’s winner.

“It’s a 15 yard sprint. He must see it. Jonny (Evans) doesn’t do enough either.”

Keane also lambasted United for not even doing the basics right. Keane lamented, “I was getting really frustrated, I couldn’t believe what I was watching, so poor. We have been repeating ourselves all year. Schoolboy stuff.”

Ten Hag’s men now must pick themselves up once again when they welcome fellow Europa League spot chasers Newcastle to Old Trafford on Wednesday night.

As water flowed off the leaking Old Trafford roof it was a stark reminder of the rebuilding job both on and off the pitch that now awaits INEOS to turn this side into a team who can truly compete at the highest level of English and European football.

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