Distance, duels and wasted attacks: Arsenal’s win at Old Trafford in numbers | OneFootball

From Ødegaard’s mileage to Gyökeres’ struggles, the numbers reveal a team that worked tirelessly but rarely dictated the game in Manchester.

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Arsenal left Old Trafford with a 1-0 win, yet the performance was far from polished. The numbers behind the game paint a picture of a side who ran hard, defended in numbers, and hung on for the result rather than one that imposed control.

Manchester United dictated large parts of the game. Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt were calm in possession at the back, completing 91% and 86% of their passes, with Yoro recording a match-high 83 touches.

By contrast, Arsenal’s passing was scrappier, reliant on Martin Ødegaard (70% accuracy), Martín Zubimendi (87%), and William Saliba (85%) to keep the ball moving under pressure.

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Bukayo Saka was precise with 94% completion but saw less of the ball than Arsenal needed from one of their main outlets.

In attack, the contrast was just as clear.

Bruno Fernandes attempted 12 passes into the final third and created five chances. Ødegaard’s eight represented Arsenal’s main attacking threat, yet he only created one chance, highlighting the Gunners’ lack of penetration from open play.

Wide players on both sides, Bryan Mbeumo for United and Gabriel Martinelli for Arsenal, were dragged into duels rather than finding space to combine in advanced areas.

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Defensively, Arsenal’s numbers revealed the extent of the workload. Saliba, Ben White and Gabriel Magalhães were repeatedly called upon to win duels and make recoveries as United pressed.

Ødegaard was also forced into a combative role, winning only 63% of his eight battles in midfield.

United’s screen came from Casemiro, whose 83% ground duel success helped stifle Arsenal’s transitions.

In goal, David Raya produced a mixed performance. His pass completion was just 46%, yet he commanded his area well, made several superb saves, and recorded seven passes into the final third. But just 25% of his 20 long balls found a teammate.

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Up front, Viktor Gyökeres endured a frustrating debut. With only 22 touches, four completed passes from nine attempted and no shots for the first time since his Coventry days, he was starved of service, and often left isolated against De Ligt and Lindelöf.

He battled in aerial duels but won only one of seven and had little platform to influence the game before being withdrawn for Kai Havertz after an hour.

Arsenal’s substitutes added little going forward, with Havertz and Jurrien Timber seeing minimal involvement as Arteta’s side dug in to protect the lead. United’s bench offered attacking changes in Amad Diallo and Benjamin Sesko, but they could not find a breakthrough.

Sesko still managed to create more chances in 25 minutes than any Arsenal player (2) despite only touching the ball seven times. He also completed 100% of his four attempted passes.

The running data reinforced Arsenal’s reliance on graft. Ødegaard and Zubimendi covered the most ground of any player at 11.2km, Saka 10.4km and Saliba 9.9km, while Martinelli recorded the highest top speed of the game at 35.5km/h before being substituted.

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Gyökeres ran 7.7km in his 60 minutes, 20% of it in sprints, showing effort but with little end product.

Overall, Arsenal covered 114.6km to United’s 108.6 and delivered 137 sprints to their 126.

In the end, Arsenal’s win was grounded in their defence and their sheer work rate rather than any sort of fluency.

The statistics highlight the reality: Arsenal were industrious, disciplined, and at times chaotic, but nowhere near convincing. But they still went home with all three points and the final scoreline was the most important stat of all.