Get firing again, Ole tells strikers
United extend fine away run but lose ground with draw; Rashford abused for poor show
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Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani (on the ground) watching his shot go wide in the league stalemate against an under-strength Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. The Uruguayan's side have yet to beat any of their "Big Six" rivals in the league this season.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
LONDON • Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Manchester United's forwards need to be more clinical, after a goal-less draw at an under-strength Arsenal dealt a second setback to their Premier League title challenge in four days.
The Red Devils threw away top spot with a shock 2-1 defeat by bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United in midweek and are now three points adrift of league leaders Manchester City, having played a game more than their city rivals.
While United are performing above expectations as a title challenge was not predicted before the season, the drab draw at Arsenal shows they are lacking that extra bit of quality against their "Big Six" rivals - something that could cost them come the end of the season.
In six games against Tottenham, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Gunners home and away, Solskjaer's men have yet to record a victory, with four stalemates, two losses and just one goal scored in that sequence.
Their attacking quartet of Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Bruno Fernandes have also now scored just once in United's last five league games and fellow forward Mason Greenwood, who came off the bench at the Emirates, had no impact too.
Cavani was the biggest threat for the visitors, with two second-half efforts that flew just wide. But Arsenal were worthy of at least a point, as they hit the bar and also wasted good opportunities despite missing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Tierney.
Lamenting an inability to once again net against a big side, United manager Solskjaer said: "We come away with a clean sheet and we had good chances.
"We need to get our forwards firing again. That's the next step now. We need to be more clinical and get them going again."
A point does at least maintain United's long unbeaten away league run, which now stands at 18 games, bettering the previous club record held by Alex Ferguson's 1998-99 treble-winning team.
Arsenal temporarily edged to within six points of the top four and manager Mikel Arteta was satisfied with a point given the missing personnel, extending their unbeaten run to seven league games with five wins in that period.
"The fact we had three of our best players out probably has an impact, but I'm really happy with the players who played today," he said. "In the second half, we were so dominant and had some big chances to win it."
Meanwhile, Rashford, who was poor on the night and hooked off for Greenwood, received plenty of flak on social media after the game - something he claimed spiralled into racial abuse.
The England international said he refused to take screenshots of the multiple messages he received as it would be irresponsible to do so but called it "humanity and social media at its worst".
"Yes, I'm a black man and I live every day proud that I am. No one, or no one comment, is going to make me feel any different," he tweeted. "So sorry if you were looking for a strong reaction, you're just simply not going to get it here."
The past week has seen online vitriol hurled at black footballers like United duo Axel Tuanzebe and Martial, Romaine Sawyers of West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea's Reece James.
In response, the Football Association has vowed to "work with the rest of the game, the government and social media platforms to remove this - and all elements of - discrimination from our sport".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS