Luke Shaw identifies two key reasons for Manchester United loss against Arsenal

Luke Shaw has pinpointed where it went wrong for Manchester United during their 3-2 Premier League defeat against Arsenal.

Despite an early wonderful opener from Marcus Rashford, Erik ten Hag and Manchester United fell just short at the Emirates with Eddie Nketiah’s last-minute winner handing Arsenal all three points.

The first half was very even, with the sides sharing a rough 50-50% possession and one goal apiece – but Shaw has identified the second half as where it went wrong for United.

“I think in the second half, maybe we deserved that,” Shaw admitted to Sky Sports at full time. “We were passive, and we let them control the game completely, and to concede right in the end is obviously gutting.

“I think we know they’re an extremely good side.”

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Shaw has identified as a lack of concentration at the crucial moment as a key reason why Arsenal were able to find an eventual winning goal.

“We were fighting all the way to that last second and I think in games like this, you have to concentrate for the full game because a little lapse of concentration and you’ll concede a goal against a very top side,” he explained.

“I think coming to the Emirates, they always start really fast. I think they had two corners in the first minute and we got through that and started to have a bit more control of the game. We were winning the ball high and that’s how we scored the first goal.”

Marcus Rashford’s opening goal came from a trigger press, with the Englishman intercepting Thomas Partey’s pass before skipping past the defensive midfielder and thrashing the ball into the bottom left corner from 25-yards out.

“The first half went well but in the second half we just sort of backed off and let them have control,” continued Shaw.

“They were having chance on chance and if it was going to be like that toward the end of the game, they were always going to have one big chance.”

Manchester United and Erik ten Hag will now put their Premier League ambitions on the back-burner, with an important Carabao Cup semi-final first leg clash coming up against Nottingham Forest in midweek, followed by a fourth round FA Cup fixture against Reading on the weekend.