Maguire: Our home form must change
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire believes the euphoria of the rampant Champions League win against RB Leipzig backfired on the Reds in the defeat against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
United overcame the much-vaunted German side 5-0 at home last Wednesday, winning plaudits for a stunning display but slipped to a 1-0 defeat against the north Londoners.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second half penalty won it for the visitors in a cagey match that leaves the Reds still in 15th position in the Premier League.
And our skipper was asked to explain the result afterwards.
“It is hard to point a finger on it. We didn’t start the game well, gave the ball away far too much in the first half,” Harry told Sky Sports.
“We can’t find excuses so we just have to look within. We were not at it from the start.
“I don’t think the concentration was there in the first half, in terms of the cleanness of the passing. Maybe we were a bit complacent [after the Leipzig win], everybody was patting us on the back.
“But you win and you lose, and you have got to stay level-headed, it is a long old season. I can’t put my finger on it. We will analyse it this week. We have another big game on Wednesday [in Istanbul] and we have to move on quickly and we have to improve.
“It was a cagey game. A game of few chances. They had probably one or two chances, a bit more than us. We needed to do more, we needed to create more.
“It was important to start the game well and we didn’t start the game well enough.
“We just gave the ball away too much. If you play any Premier League game and you give the ball away as much as we did, especially in that first half, you are not going to win games of football.
“It is not good enough. We have to work hard tomorrow in training and improve.”
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The 1-0 defeat was our third Premier League loss at Old Trafford this campaign, following on from reverses against Crystal Palace and Tottenham. The only point gained was the 0-0 draw with Chelsea.
Maguire appreciates things will have to change if the Reds are to challenge for trophies.
“I don’t think it is a worry," he insisted. "It is disappointing because we haven’t won at Old Trafford in the league this year.
“It is very disappointing and it is something that has got to change if we are going to be successful this year. We have to get good home form, make it hard for people to come here and get wins. Today wasn’t good enough.
“I don’t think it is a worry because you saw in midweek we came here and put on a great performance but there is something at the moment not clicking at home and I can’t analyse it too much now because I am stood here fresh from the game. I’m disappointed, as we all are in the dressing room.”