86% pass accuracy, four duels won: Utd suffered at the Emirates, but there was one undeniable ‘bright spark’

Ruben Amorim tasted defeat for the first time as Manchester United’s head coach last night at the hands of Arsenal. 

There was little his men could’ve done to prevent the Gunners’ deadly corner tactics after they extended their lead as the highest scorers of set-pieces in the division to seven goals. 

Both goals came in the second half courtesy of Jurrien Timber and Wiliam Saliba – the manner in which the latter’s contribution came about left Amorim ‘furious’ with Marcus Rashford, who needlessly conceded a corner after failing to flick the ball over Martin Odegaard.

The result leaves United 11th-placed in the table and seven points away from next Sunday’s opponents, Manchester City, who occupy fourth after ending their seven-game winless streak with a 3-0 victory over Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.

Leny Yoro emerges as a silver lining in Arsenal upset

Nonetheless, there were undoubtedly some positives to take from the night’s affairs – one being that Leny Yoro was finally able to make his long-awaited debut after four months of being sidelined with a foot injury.

The 19-year-old summer signing sustained his setback during United’s first game of their pre-season tour of the United States. He underwent successful surgery for the metatarsal fracture in August before enduring a lengthy period of rehabilitation, with the club taking precautions in his return to the fold in order to prevent any further issues.

Alas, his moment came tonight when he entered the fray in the 59th minute and replaced senior counterpart Harry Maguire. Despite United trailing by two goals and Yoro only having half an hour to prevent any further damage, he certainly made his mark.

TNT Sports hailed the ‘bright spark’ post-match while sharing his impressive statistics from the match; Yoro made two clearances, won two tackles, won four duels and recorded an 86 per cent passing accuracy. Whether or not he’ll be deployed from the offset against Forest on Saturday remains to be seen, but fans are already revelling in the prospect Amorim now has at his disposal.

Leny Yoro’s competitive #MUFC debut by numbers:

100% aerial duels won

86% pass accuracy

75% ground duels won

4 tackles attempted

3 tackles won

2 passes into the final third

2 clearances

A solid showing in tough circumstances. 👏 pic.twitter.com/S5IhRSDexW

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 4, 2024