Defiance from United on a day of protest against owners
Manchester United 1 - 1 Arsenal
Declan Rice's stunning strike salvaged a point for Arsenal at Manchester United, but it did little to boost their fading hopes of catching Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal were dominant in the first half at Old Trafford but struggled to make their superiority count and were punished on the stroke of half-time when United captain Bruno Fernandes curled a superb 25-yard free-kick beyond David Raya, who had positioned himself poorly.
Raya atoned for his earlier error with two excellent second-half saves to deny Noussair Mazraoui and Joshua Zirkzee, keeping Arsenal within touching distance as they pushed for an equaliser.
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With 16 minutes remaining, their breakthrough finally arrived. United failed to clear their lines and Rice pounced, rifling a thunderous rising shot past Andre Onana at the Stretford End to restore parity.
However, the result did little to change the title picture, with Liverpool still holding a seemingly uncatchable 15-point lead over Arsenal, having played a game more.
The Gunners could have left Manchester empty-handed, though, as Raya produced a remarkable double save in the dying moments to deny Fernandes and ensure Arsenal at least came away with a point.
Thousands protest against the Glazer family before the match
Thousands of Manchester United fans staged the largest protest against the club's ownership since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a near 30% stake last year, gathering in vast numbers ahead of their side's match at Old Trafford.
In scenes reminiscent of the demonstrations before a home game against Liverpool in August 2022, supporters joined a near mile-long march to the stadium, venting their anger towards the club's leadership.
A sea of flares filled the air as fans chanted pointed and often hostile songs directed at co-chairman Joel Glazer and Ratcliffe, who recently invested £1.3bn for a 28.94% stake in United.
Under the terms of his investment, Ratcliffe has been granted significant control over the club’s football operations, but his growing influence has done little to ease supporter unrest.
The mood around Old Trafford remains deeply fractious, with many fans sceptical that Ratcliffe’s arrival will lead to the sweeping changes they have long demanded.
Jake W, Jon and Josh T were all in attendance at the protest and they all said they were concerned about the direction of the club. Josh T told us: "A further increase in ticket prices this summer would be awful. Fans are just customers, they are the lifeblood of a football club and should be treated as such."
