Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen has admitted that referee Anthony Taylor’s mistake gave United an advantage during their 1-1 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The big talking point of the match was Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick goal, which gave United the lead in the first half. However, it was later revealed that Taylor positioned the Arsenal wall further back than usual, giving Fernandes extra space to strike the ball.
At halftime, reports confirmed that the Arsenal wall had been placed 11.2 yards away instead of the standard 10 yards, which may have played a role in Fernandes scoring.
Speaking after the match, Eriksen couldn’t help but joke about the situation, saying:
“Very good, happy that the wall was about 15 metres away. You saw how far back they were, and it was beneficial for us.”
His comments suggest that United were well aware of the extra space they had for the free kick.
However, frustration grew in the second half when United were on the receiving end of a similar decision, with their own defensive wall seemingly forced even further back than usual.
Despite taking the lead, United couldn’t hold on as Declan Rice equalized for Arsenal in the second half. Eriksen admitted that United had chances to win but couldn’t make them count.
“If you look at the chances, we could have won it. We tried to play on the counter as much as possible, which was the game plan.”
The result lifted United to 14th place in the Premier League—far from where they want to be.
United manager Ruben Amorim was happy with his team’s effort but admitted they had to defend too much against a strong Arsenal side.
“Of course, we don’t want to play like this, defending so much and giving the ball to the opponent. But we had to adapt based on the opponent and the players available.”
Amorim also acknowledged that the fans might not be happy with United’s defensive approach:
“When you coach Manchester United, you cannot play too much like that. You have to try to win the game. I know it is frustrating for the fans sometimes, but we have to deal with that.”
With United struggling in the league, every point matters. However, Taylor’s refereeing decision will continue to be debated, with many Arsenal fans feeling they were unfairly punished.
