Arsene Wenger says Saliba and Gabriel were nervous in Manchester United loss

Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger highlighted unusual nerves in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as a key factor in his former club’s dramatic 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United.

Arsene Wenger Points to Nerves in Arsenal Defence After United Loss

The loss at the Emirates Stadium handed a blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions.

Despite taking an early lead through a Lisandro Martinez own goal, Arsenal saw Manchester United fight back with goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu.

A late Mikel Merino equaliser seemed to have salvaged a point, only for United substitute Matheus Cunha to strike a stunning winner moments later.

Analysing the match, Wenger expressed surprise at the performance of Arsenal’s usually dominant centre-back pairing.

“It’s the first time I feel that the central defenders were a bit more nervous and less dominant than they usually are in games,” Wenger stated on beIN SPORTS.

The former manager specifically pointed to defensive errors on United’s first equaliser.

He noted that while midfielder Martin Zubimendi made an initial mistake, Saliba compounded it by stepping out of position instead of providing covering support for his teammate.

Wenger also credited Manchester United’s caretaker manager, Michael Carrick, for finding an effective balance.

“Carrick found a good formula and a good balance between defensive stability and good technical level,” he said, suggesting United’s setup disrupted Arsenal’s usual rhythm.

This first home defeat of the season trims Arsenal’s lead at the top to just four points over Manchester City, with United climbing into the Champions League places.

While Wenger recently declared Arsenal “miles above” their rivals, this result introduces fresh tension into the title race with 15 games remaining.