"He’s surely going to be better than Antony" – Arsenal legend Ian Wright offers advice to Ten Hag after Manchester United defeat

Arsenal icon Ian Wright recently urged Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag to start Alejandro Garnacho over Antony after the 19-year-old impressed as a substitute yesterday (September 3).

The Red Devils took on Mikel Arteta and Co. at the Emirates yesterday in a blockbuster Premier League clash. Garnacho came on as an 84th-minute substitute in the second half when the scores were level at 1-1 after Marcus Rashford and Martin Odegaard scored for their respective teams.

The Argentina international thought he had won the game for Manchester United in the 88th minute after a brilliant counter-attack. However, VAR ruled it offside, only for Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus to score in stoppage time to secure a vital 3-1 win for Arsenal.

Despite being on the pitch for just six minutes, Garnacho looked like a threat, impressing Ian Wright. The latter told Premier League Productions (via Daily Express):

“I think Garnacho is a positive. I think they’ve got to find some way of getting a midfielder in their team who can get on the ball, control it and then use the pace of Rashford and use the pace of Garnacho."

He also explained how Garnacho fits United's system better than Antony:

“Because they’re playing on the counter-attack. I’m listening to Bruno Fernandes saying he was happy with the way it went, he thought they played well and dug in. Man United have got the kind of players [to attack more]. We saw it with Garnacho, who I cannot believe does not start in front of someone like Antony."

Wright added:

“He [Garnacho] can come on in that game and, even if you’re playing in that style of football, he’s surely going to be better than what Antony is giving you at this particular moment. We saw it in that little cameo there what he did.”

Antony has largely struggled to make an impact this season, with zero goal contributions in his four appearances. He struggled against Arsenal, having a pass accuracy of just 59%. He also completed just 40% of his dribbles and landed no shots on target.

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Arsenal vs Manchester United: Exploring the stats from Premier League clash

Arsenal showed great resilience to secure a 3-1 win against Manchester United at home. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed on the pitch.

The Gunners dominated possession, controlling 55% of the ball. They also completed 532 passes with an accuracy of 87%. In comparison, Erik ten Hag and Co. opted for a more defensive setup and looked to hit on the counter. They had 45% possession and completed 462 passes with an accuracy of 84%.

Arsenal were more industrious in attack, with 17 shots in total with five being on target. On the other hand, Manchester United had 10 shots, with just two being on target.

The Gunners' win took them to fifth in the table with 10 points, whereas Manchester United are 11th with six points. Both teams have played four games each and will next feature after the international break.