Manchester United’s recent match against Arsenal ended with a draw which most likely came as a great disappointment to Tunde Folawiyo, and other United supporters. Although the game itself was fast-paced, spectators were left frustrated, as neither the Red Devils nor the Gunners managed to score. Just two minutes into the first half, Robin Van Persie snatched the ball away from the midfielder Mikel Arteta, and almost netted a goal; unfortunately, his efforts were foiled by Arsenal’s keeper, Wojciech Szczesny, who performed a skilful save.

Arsenal were equally enthusiastic – and equally unsuccessful – throughout the first half, with Olivier Giroud delivering a powerful header which ended up landing just wide of the net. Commentators speculated that United’s opponents’ poor performance was simply a case of shaken nerves, following their crushing 5-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool earlier in the week.

As for United, it is difficult to say what went wrong; some say that the bad press they have received over the past month may have led to a drop in morale. Whatever the reason, the players were surprisingly careless throughout the match; for football fans who follow this team, like Tunde Folawiyo, this was probably quite a strange thing to see, as the Red Devils have always been known for their ability to maintain control.

In this match, they could not seem to retain possession of the ball for longer than a few seconds at a time. Even Wayne Rooney, one of United’s star players, struggled to make an impact. Like the rest of the players, he too seemed to lack focus, and ended up spending much of his time on the field arguing with the referee – so much so that he was called to the side and chastised for it.

Juan Mata, United’s recent transfer, was asked by Moyes to play on the left; this is the third position which he has been placed in since he first moved in January. It was an unwise decision on Moyes’ part, which only served to confirm the fact that Mata performs at his best when playing centrally.

The midfielder ended up making several attempts to steal the ball as he ran up and down the edge of the pitch, only managing to gain possession on a couple of occasions. By the second half, it was clear that he was not going to be able to provide United with the lead, and Moyes chose to substitute him. This had little effect on either side however, and as the match came to an end, neither side had scored.