Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes took another major hit on Sunday as they played out a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Declan Rice’s late equalizer salvaged a point for the Gunners, but the result further dented their pursuit of runaway leaders Liverpool.
Bruno Fernandes had put United ahead with a stunning first-half free-kick, showcasing his leadership once again in a tough season for the Red Devils. However, Rice’s composed finish in the 74th minute ensured Arsenal didn’t leave Manchester empty-handed.
The Gunners now trail Liverpool by 15 points with just one game in hand, making a late title charge highly unlikely. Instead, Mikel Arteta’s men may have to shift focus to securing a Champions League spot as the season nears its conclusion.
United, sitting in 14th place, continue to struggle under new boss Ruben Amorim. While they have put in strong performances against top teams, their inconsistency in winnable matches has left them far from European qualification spots.
Despite Arsenal’s strong start, they lacked a true striker, with midfielder Mikel Merino again forced to play in attack. Their best early chance fell to him, but he fired wide from the edge of the box.
United, on the other hand, found inspiration from Fernandes, who curled a superb free-kick past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya just before halftime. Though Raya was criticized for his positioning on the goal, he redeemed himself with crucial second-half saves to keep Arsenal in the game.
With Gabriel Martinelli returning from injury, Arsenal pushed for an equalizer, and it came in style—Rice rifled a powerful strike into the net from Jurrien Timber’s pass, leveling the game.
Rasmus Højlund, dropped to the bench after a 19-game goal drought, came close to snatching a winner for United, but Arsenal’s defense held firm. Raya also produced a last-minute save to deny Fernandes a second goal.
The draw does little to help Arsenal’s fading title ambitions, but they remain four points ahead of third-placed Nottingham Forest and eight ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification.
