[Niall]

United's brief flirtation with top spot is over after a thumping at The Emirates.

Arsenal were rampant in the first-half, tearing United apart in midfield and defence, scoring three goals in the opening 20 minutes.

A reshuffle at half-time saw United dominate possession but Arsenal were happy to absorb the pressure and look for further goals on the counter-attack. United tested Cech a few times but struggled to create many clear goalscoring opportunities. In the end, it was too easy for Arsenal to contain them and a comeback was never on the cards.

A lot to digest over the international break. This was United's first real big test in the league this season and they failed miserably. Where does this leave United now?

 

[Rado_N]

First real test. Failed.

 

[Wumminator]

Well done Arsenal. Brilliant performance.

 

[Raw]

We had more possession, we should have won!

 

[pacifictheme]

This will go well...

 

[2 man midfield]

Gash o' Rama!

 

[bleedred]

Philosphy = No plan B

 

[sullydnl]

Bad day at the office all round.

LVG didn't set us up right, we looked tired, we were stunned by Arsenal's unusual intensity and we then totally ran out of ideas to get us back into the game.

Still, it's important to remember that things are still going well overall this season. Early October and we're third, a couple of points off the top. That's a perfectly fine position to be in.

Today was bad and lessons need to be learned but we shouldn't overreact and forget the positives of this season either.

 

[Sarni]

Well done Arsenal. Brilliant performance.

Do you think United played very well and Arsenal needed to play out of their skins to beat us here?

 

[Raoul]

Fantastic performance from Arsenal. Well deserved 3 points.

 

[milemuncher777]

I miss Fergie.

 

[Scrumpet]

Drew the second half

 

[2 man midfield]

Well done to Arsenal. Totally outplayed.

 

[ivaldo]

We played them off the park in the second half bro.

 

[Skills]

Annihilated. Darmian and Memphis dreadful. Rooney Rooneyed it. Van Gaal naive.

 

[Wumminator]

Do you think United played very well and Arsenal needed to play out of their skins to beat us here?

No we played poorly and they played badly.

Happens sometimes.

 

[Cpt Negative]

You have to play a certain way to beat Arsenal and we failed to do that.

Instead of doing what is proven to work, we continue to play our shit, slow, zombie, don't do anything football.

I'm glad United fecked my application up for that game. I might call and thanks them now

 

[sullydnl]

Also worth pointing out that LVG's game plan was to counter and the early goals obviously killed that notion.

 

[lem8sh]

It was due.

 

[Sarni]

Nothing to see here, we lost because we were asleep for the first 10 minutes of the game. Things like that will happen every now and again, this game has exposed some of this squad's deficiences but ultimately it means nothing in the grand scheme of things. We were dreadful, we need to improve.

 

[Bwuk]

Just awful. Looked clueless at how to get back into it second half

 

[Mainoldo]

It happens sometimes. Great character building for some of the younger and new inexperienced lads (darmian).

 

[dwd]

If ever a game perfectly illustrated the feeling of the weekend coming to an end this was it.

 

[nick2004]

Not our day. It happens.

 

[Winrar]

just the usual arsenal vs united match... except the roles have reversed.

I'm just glad this didn't end in a complete bloodbath as it could have.

 

[OneUnited24]

Shocking. But i dont think we'll be beaten by that margin again this season.

I choose to look at this defeat in isolation because defensively we have been great this season but all that was undone by our start. Still LvG didnt help with playing with 2 30 year old CMFers today

 

[dannyrhinos89]

Well done to Arsenal.

I want Rooney to feck off

 

[Hed Zitin]

The score, how inept and slow we are is one thing. Getting out muscled by Arsenal. Embarrassing.

feck the lot of them. Bunch of powder puffs.

 

[Reynoldo]

Ya well done Arsenal, they were great. 2 points off top really isn't bad.

 

[Dante]

We're such a one-paced team.

 

[Skywarden]

Sometimes it is good to lose like this, against a team that counters your possession football by playing fast-paced passing and counter-attacks. Especially at this stage of the season where we are, in truth, very much still in the race. It's a tough pill to swallow but hopefully we learn a thing or two from this.

Martial was a bright star given the circumstances.

 

[Keeps It tidy]

Results like this happen sometimes. It is great that the international break is coming up the squad needs it.

 

[Silva]

Grim opening 20, I'm just glad it didn't get any worse.

 

[RexHamilton]

Very poor. By the time we got going, the game was over. One of those games I reckon. Put it down to experience and move on. No need to panic after one game. We're still only 2 points off top spot. If things don't improve in big games then we can start to worry.

 

[bosnian_red]

Shit game, expected us to lose though so wasn't surprised. Away to Arsenal is probably the worst game for us because of their pace going forward and Van Gaal's reluctance on changing his style for any opponent. Still think we have a better team then Arsenal and we'll finish above them, but it just felt like we'd lose it today. Need to get a win against Everton now though.

 

[sullydnl]

You have to play a certain way to beat Arsenal and we failed to do that.

Instead of doing what is proven to work, we continue to play our shit, slow, zombie, don't do anything football.

I'm glad United fecked my application up for that game. I might call and thanks them now

Think LVG wanted to play counter attacking football but the early goals obviously meant we had to abandon that plan.

 

[settembrini]

That first half... like watching an entire team of Rooneys.

 

[Basa1987]

Bad team selection to start with. Needed atleast Schneiderlin or Fellaini to push them back.

Sh*t happens. Move on.

 

[mu77]

bringing in wiggy and playing him in midf? rooney at LW? why not pressure the slowest arse cb with tony m on his hip?

meh

 

[Manny]

Rooney was terrible again. As was Darmian. Memphis was bad too.

Two games in a row we've started poorly and today we were punished badly

 

[Red Stone]

Winning was never an option today. That team had lost before it even walked onto the pitch, and LvG's subs did nothing to fix that either.

Not even angry. Arsenal deserved to win and got it handed to them.