Can the opposition score? They always score. Manchester United were back in London, back defending what would have been a positive result and back conceding in the 90th minute. United have to hope their regression this week is an aberration.
The only challenge United face in the Premier League is for the top four. That has always been the case, despite the giddiness in the wake of the derby. They have not backed up that result and are back below Newcastle.
Carelessness has crept into United's performances. They have not played with enough edge this week. Overconfidence? The same mistakes they committed in south London resurfaced north of the Thames.
Read more: United player ratings vs Arsenal
The United supporters railed against Wout Weghorst's reluctance to expend energy on a lost cause in the 74th minute. That was seemingly sensible game management from the Dutchman, in sync with his teammates again, but endemic of their lack of adventure. Arsenal no longer crumble at the slightest slip-up.
In what was the most significant Arsenal-United contest since January 2010, this was an absorbing duel between two of British football's institutions. Both sets of supporters implored their players to chase victory with the game deadlocked deep into the second half.
Arsenal were the only side who were hell-bent on taking all three points. Erik ten Hag's refusal to make an attacking change - and he had three players to call on - was costly. David de Gea's goal led a charmed life at 2-2 until Eddie Nketiah flicked the ball past him.
In a match where United's first-half lead lasted a minute longer than Arsenal's in the second half, it was advisable to leave it late. It was later after a superfluous VAR check for Nketiah's goal.
When the dust settles, Ten Hag has positives to draw on. United, handicapped by Casemiro's absence, did not arrive cap in hand and that was epitomised by the fearless Lisandro Martinez.
Sporting a bandage around his head after a midweek elbow at Selhurst Park, Martinez put his noggin in harm's way to equalise within six minutes of Bukayo Saka's rasping strike. Not all of his teammates had Martinez's resolve to go for a third goal.
Mikel Arteta had identified Martinez as a centre half with the requisite character and quality to bolster the Arsenal defence until Ten Hag intervened. Granit Xhaka admiringly helped Martinez to his feet following one piece of uncompromising defending.
United will rue the individual errors of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Christian Eriksen, the latter's age hardly accounting for his failure to show Saka outside. David de Gea's awkwardness hardly bred confidence and his penalty box was as congested as a motorway.
In an unusually atmospheric Emirates Stadium, the relationship between home team and matchgoers is no longer remotely strained. Martin Odegaard conducted the orchestra on the pitch and sometimes in the stand, waving his hand so animatedly he might as well have wielded a baton. Arsenal embarked on a lap of honour at full-time.
Their supporters responded defiantly to Marcus Rashford's dipping drive in the 17th minute and Arsenal equalised seven minutes later. The less said about the plastic clappers and drum-beating wannabe ultras, the better. Everything else at Arsenal is admirable.
The tribalism got the better of some. Fighting broke out in the Arsenal section and one man was distressed by the dormant stewards, furiously informing them children were witness to the scuffle. Elder denizens relentlessly complained about the persistent standing. It was a game that brought fans to their feet.
Arsenal's followers have had little to lament in the last six months. United have a playlist of highlights from their visits to the Emirates in the last 15 years yet this was the first serious Arsenal side they were pitted against. United remain winless at Arsenal in the Premier League since Arsene Wenger was ousted in 2018.
United's performance had some of the hallmarks of their glory nights in north London. Antony drew applause from technical director Darren Fletcher in the back row of the press box. Fletcher is a specialist at duking it out with Arsenal. He has also witnessed the crushing disappointment of an added-time Arsenal winner.
Rashford drove the ball a la Ronaldo at the same end his Exocet flew past Manuel Almunia and the players were dedicated in executing Ten Hag's balanced set-up. Character trumped quality with the recall of McTominay, harking back to his axis with Eriksen for the defeat of Arsenal in September. It seemed more psychological than tactical and Arsenal dominated the midfield.
McTominay had started once in the league since and any United players who glance at the Etihad scoreboard would have seen '6-1' in the 65th minute. Casemiro was integrated into the domestic XI seven days later and has stayed there since. On the ground he debuted, McTominay endeavoured to cover all of it but his ability is limited.
De Gea bristled at a query over his distribution in midweek yet it played United into the trouble of conceding, his casual pass to Wan-Bissaka forcing United onto the back foot and from the corner Nketiah nodded in Arsenal's equaliser. United discovered at Brentford there is a time and a place for playing out of their own third. Arsenal away was neither.
"Get up, Aaron," one of the United analysts yelled. Seconds later, Wan-Bissaka literally failed to do so as Nketiah blindsided him at the far post. Wan-Bissaka remains vulnerable in that vicinity.
Martinez, his place back in the side well and truly cemented, broke Arsenal's defensive line with a piercing pass that Fernandes latched onto yet failed to remain upright for amid a brush with Aaron Ramsdale. For once, Ten Hag complained more than the accepting Fernandes.
De Gea carelessly kicked into touch and Ten Hag sympathised, manager and 'keeper singling out Martinez for not shuffling across. Martinez nodded. The Argentine was United's outstanding player but Nketiah's eyes were as bright as the floodlights whenever the ball was in De Gea's vicinity.
He was there again in the 90th minute.
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