Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville pulled no punches in criticising his former team’s defending during their 2-0 loss to Arsenal on Wednesday.
The pundit unleashed a series of unfiltered comments during a live watch-along on The Overlap alongside Roy Keane, Jamie Carragher, and Ian Wright.
The match, which was goalless at halftime, saw Arsenal take control in the second half with two goals stemming from set-pieces.
Jurrien Timber broke the deadlock by heading in from a Declan Rice corner, while William Saliba sealed the win by nodding home from a Thomas Partey header – both examples of Arsenal’s well-drilled attacking corners.
Neville Slams Man Utd’s Defending vs Arsenal
As the second goal went in, a visibly frustrated Neville vented his exasperation, particularly at United’s inability to handle the straightforward delivery that led to Saliba’s header.
“That’s a looped corner, that. That’s s***, that,” he remarked. “I’ve got some sympathy on the whipped ones. I’ve not got any sympathy on that one.”
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll give some credit where credit’s due. He’s whipped everyone into the near post.
“So all the United players are in at the near post, and two of the Arsenal players are hung out at the back against Mazraoui, and he’s [Partey’s] literally got a free header. You’ve played them.”
Gary’s face says it all… 😳@super6 pic.twitter.com/yhbte9Kfub
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) December 4, 2024
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, meanwhile, praised his team’s set-piece efficiency, calling it “one of the best” set-piece performances in his post-match comments to Match of the Day.
The win keeps Arsenal on track in their title challenge and highlights their ability to exploit every aspect of the game under Arteta’s meticulous guidance.
As for United, who suffered their first league defeat under Ruben Amorim, the loss not only highlighted their struggles in open play but also exposed glaring issues in their defensive organisation on set-pieces.
