Gary Neville pinpoints moment Mikel Arteta knew Arsenal would lose to Man Utd | OneFootball

Nervous Gunners see their Premier League title lead cut to four points

Lisandro Martinez's goal gifted Arsenal a deserved lead, only for Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu to hit back. Mikel Merino gave the Gunners a lifeline in the final minutes, only for Matheus Cunha to hit a stunning winner soon after.

The result has again raised questions over the mental strength of Arsenal's squad - a criticism Arteta has accepted - and Neville believes the downfall started after a Gabriel and William Saliba mistake in the first half.

Mikel Arteta, who you can see him right down beneath us here, is fuming

Gary Neville

"They played well in the first 20-25 minutes, they controlled the game, as you've seen Arsenal do so many times," Neville told Sky Sports. "But they weren't inventive enough. They didn't take enough risks, and they allowed Manchester United just to let it swing back … Arsenal's reaction to scoring the [opening] goal was terrible.

"There's a telling moment when Manchester United got their first real counter attack. When [Bryan] Mbeumo goes through, he's got Gabriel and [William] Saliba coming back at him, and he turns back and he plays it to Bruno Fernandes, who just snatches at it and pulls it past the near post.

“And Mikel Arteta, you can see him right down beneath us here, is fuming that they've allowed Manchester United to have a chance, because they have given encouragement. And then there was another chance straight after that. And then the goal came."

Martin Zubmiendi's dreadful error - passing back to his goalkeeper without looking - gifted Mbeumo an equaliser before half-time, and United had the momentum for the rest of the game with the nerves of the home fans palpable inside the Emirates Stadium.

Back-to-back wins for Manchester United

Getty Images

"It was self-inflicted pain by Arsenal," Neville continued. "It really was in that 10-15 minutes before half-time, because United at that point hadn't really got going. They didn't look dangerous, they didn't look like they got the connections going. Bruno Fernandes had given a couple of passes away, but the way in which Arsenal reacted to their own goal going in, I think, gave United real encouragement.

"And from the very first minute of the second half, there were only one team that were actually dominant, and that was Manchester United, who were by far the better team in the second half. Michael Carrick's men went in with positivity. Arteta came out and realsed that his team were nervous in that last 10 minutes of the first half."

Arsenal were booed off at both half-time and full-time as their title lead was cut, and Neville suggested that those inside the club should be concerned ahead of the season run-in.

He added: "Where's that nervousness come from when they've scored that goal? Where's the anxiety come from? How has it surfaced in this match? It happened against Liverpool a couple of weeks ago, it was a warning sign as Liverpool had lots of players missing in that game … they've been hurt, Arsenal."