37 touches, 12 duels won – “Superb” Man Utd star shows he must start vs Real Sociedad despite injury return

One Manchester United star proved to Ruben Amorim that he must start against Real Sociedad after a superb display against Arsenal on the weekend.

Manchester United played out a 1-1 draw against Arsenal in their Premier League clash at Old Trafford, with Bruno Fernandes’ stunning free-kick being canceled out by Declan Rice’s strike.

Ruben Amorim was forced to field a weakened United side for Sunday’s match, leaving fans apprehensive ahead of kickoff.

Despite those concerns, United were solid defensively in the first half, limiting Arsenal’s opportunities with a well-organised shape.

A moment of brilliance from Fernandes saw his free-kick find the back of the net just before half-time, giving United a well-earned lead.

In the second half, the Reds showed improvement in possession but left too much space for Declan Rice on the edge of the box, who capitalised to level the score with 15 minutes to spare.

United looked the more likely side to find a winner in the closing stages, creating several promising chances, but the match ultimately ended in a draw.

Casemiro shines in Arsenal clash

One of United’s best players across the 90 minutes was Casemiro, who started once again in Manuel Ugarte’s absence.

After a promising display against Real Sociedad in the first-leg of their Europa League clash last Thursday, the Brazilian midfielder upped his levels even further against The Gunners.

Casemiro was extremely important for United out of possession, winning 12 of his 16 attempted duels and completing four tackles. He also made five recoveries.

According to Squawka, the 33-year-old’s 12 duels won was five more than any other player on the pitch on the night – they described his performance as “superb”.

The midfielder completed 15 of his 18 attempted passes and had just 37 touches of the ball but managed to make a major impact in the game.

Casemiro deserves to start vs Sociedad despite Ugarte return

After the game, Amorim suggested that Ugarte could end up being fit for United’s second-leg tie against Sociedad this coming Thursday.

However, after his displays against Sociedad the first time around and Arsenal, it seems like Casemiro deserves to keep the shirt in midfield alongside Fernandes.

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The Brazilian midfielder has expertise that not many other United players have, and that could be crucial in high-pressure games like this one.

Ugarte was in decent form before his recent injury setback, but Casemiro in these last two games has been even better and he deserves to try and build on that form.

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