Solskjaer's verdict on Arsenal defeat

However, the Norwegian felt the performance was still positive and the result was somewhat harsh.

Here's what he had to say in post-match interviews with Sky and BBC Sport...

DEFEAT WAS NOT DESERVED

"We started slowly and maybe it was a backlash from Wednesday night [against PSG], I don't know. Today we were lethargic in the first 10-15 minutes, we did not have the zip and we did not take the chances. But you cannot say it was a game we deserved to lose. We created chances, that's the thing. We created five big chances, we hit the woodwork twice.

"We created so many more chances today than, say for example, when we beat them in the FA Cup. We played a better game today than back then but that doesn't help when the result is like it is. When they get the first goal, it's a different game. The performance was good, the result was disappointing."

HEAD-SCRATCHING RESULT?

"It's not [about] scratching your head - it happens. We hit the woodwork twice, we had four or five really big chances ourselves. Some days strikers take them, some days they don't. Today, I can't quite remember any proper saves that David [De Gea] had to make. They had the penalty and I think the referee [Jon Moss] will be disappointed when he sees it, because I don't think it's a penalty after seeing it on TV. Of course, the striker [Alexandre Lacazette] just knocked the ball through. They didn't really carve us open."

DE GEA DISAPPOINTED?

"He's disappointed every time he concedes a goal because he's a top, top keeper. The ball [Xhaka's shot] moved so strangely and, when you see it on TV, it's one of them where it looks like it goes to David's left and then it just changes direction. It was like one of those Brazilian swerves. It is a good strike and the ball moves. It is the one shot they had in the first half.

"We started sloppy and we gave him time to strike the ball. We were too slow. For the first 15-20 minutes, we were too slow to get up to them [Arsenal]. We never really put them under pressure, they had time to get that goal."

ARSENAL'S PENALTY

"I don't think it is a penalty, that is a decision the ref had to make but Jon Moss might be disappointed when he sees it again [Fred's challenge on Alexandre Lacazette]."

FORMATION CHANGES DURING THE GAME?

"We just had to go for it towards the end, of course, to create chances. But it's one of them where we weren't really at it. We didn't really change that much, just slight tweaks. It was one of those days where you have to dust yourselves down and have a good reaction. We've got Wolves next in the FA Cup quarter-final and that's a big game to look forward to."

INJURIES AND SCHEDULE CATCHING UP WITH YOU?

"No, not at all. It's just today, the first goal decides how a game goes. They scored the first one and then maybe they let us have the ball a bit more than they wanted to. I thought we created some great, great chances but we just didn't take them. Sometimes that happens as a striker. I know more than anyone that you can miss chances."

OUR LOWEST POINT - BUT WE'LL BE BACK

"It has been fantastic so far but today is the the lowest we have been because we lost and missed the chance to put pressure on Spurs. We have won games we have not deserved to win and today we lost a game we did not deserve to lose. When you see the boys work as hard as they do, the attitude they show in training... hopefully we will be ready for Wolves in the FA Cup next week."