96% pass accuracy, 2 tackles – Man Utd star gives Ruben Amorim boost despite Arsenal defeat

One Manchester United star has given head coach Ruben Amorim a boost going forward despite the defeat to Arsenal.

Rúben Amorim experienced his first defeat as Manchester United head coach as the team fell 2-0 to Arsenal on Wednesday evening at the Emirates Stadium.

United’s game plan focused on nullifying Arsenal’s attacking threat with a disciplined defensive setup.

The approach proved effective in the first half, frustrating Mikel Arteta’s side, but it also limited United’s ability to create scoring opportunities.

Arsenal ultimately broke the deadlock in the second half, capitalising on their trademark physicality during set pieces to score twice from corners.

Amorim faces a challenging task in addressing the team’s weaknesses moving forward, but there were some positives to take from the game.

Harry Maguire’s solid display vs Arsenal

Harry Maguire came into the starting lineup for the first time under Amorim and the first time for United since the beginning of October.

The English defender was positioned in the middle of United’s back three, with Matthijs de Ligt to his right and Noussair Mazraoui on his left.

It was a solid display from Maguire both in and out of possession until he was replaced early in the second half.

He managed to offer United some better progressive passes from the centre, with four passes into the final third and four out of five long passes completed. His overall passing accuracy was 96% on 44/46 passes.

The 31-year-old also timed his challenges well throughout the game, winning both of his attempted tackles and all three of his duels.

Maguire will push for a starting spot

Like he has done over the last few years, Maguire will be aiming to push for a starting spot in Amorim’s team despite many ruling him out of contention for the back three.

He looks like he could really suit the central role in that defence, with his passing range an upgrade on De Ligt, but the Dutch international has also played well when stationed there.

It will hopefully become a good headache for Amorim to have in these busy months of the season. To have Maguire and Leny Yoro both back on the pitch is undoubtably a boost for the boss.

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