Solskjaer bemoans Man Utd´s lack of intensity in Arsenal defeat

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says his Manchester United side took their “foot off the pedal” in their disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.

United thumped RB Leipzig 5-0 in the Champions League in midweek but were badly off the pace against Mikel Arteta’s side, who triumphed thanks to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 69th-minute penalty.

The result means United have lost three and drawn one of their opening four home Premier League games, with the Red Devils now languishing 15th in the table.

Solskjaer was frustrated with his side’s display and says a lack of “intensity” was behind their downfall.

“We never turned up in the first half,” he told Sky Sports. “The intensity, tempo and shape weren’t there. They were better than us in the first half and created a couple of decent half-chances. We played better in the second half but we need more intensity.

“When you have played well you think you can take your foot off the pedal, but that is not how it works because this was a big game against a good team and you have to be absolutely spot on with everything.

7 – Manchester United have taken just seven points from their six Premier League games this season, their lowest tally at this stage since David Moyes’ short stint at the helm in 2013-14 (7); a campaign in which they went on to finish seventh. Stalled. pic.twitter.com/KacNKH292w

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 1, 2020

“If you are slightly late for a tackle, they get away from you and you give a foul away and we weren’t at the races.

“We were too sloppy, too many passes went astray and the rotation was not there. Too many things that can go wrong in a game did for us today. Today we didn’t get the response we hoped for.”

United are now winless in their last six Premier League games at Old Trafford, but Solskjaer claims home advantage no longer exists now that games are played in empty stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Home and away form is out the window with no fans in the stadium,” he added. “You can’t look at that. It doesn’t really mean too much.

“We played fantastically on Wednesday and now we lose, but we need to get points on the board.”

United travel to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on Wednesday before a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton in the Premier League three days later.