Michael Owen says it’s a ‘massive loss’ to Manchester United that Casemiro will be suspended for the trip to Arsenal on Sunday after picking up a late booking against Crystal Palace, as he told Premier League Productions (18/01/23 at 10:15 pm).
Erik ten Hag’s side recorded a 1-1 draw at Selhurst Park on Wednesday night and Owen thinks the last ten minutes were a ‘nightmare’ for the Premier League title pretenders.
Manchester United went into yesterday’s game hoping to close the gap to leaders Arsenal to six points and then possibly win at the Emirates to reduce it to three.
Added to that, they were hoping key players would stay out of the referee’s book in order to avoid suspension for the Arsenal match, no more so than their hard-hitting midfielder, Casemiro.
Well, with ten or so minutes left on the clock, it was all going so smoothly, before the £70 million Brazil international (Sky Sports) lunged into boyhood Arsenal fan Wilfried Zaha, with the midfielder’s and his teammate’s expressions saying it all.
This now puts Manchester United on the back foot for their second trip to the capital at the weekend and Owen thinks they have to win if they want to remain in the Premier League title race.
“Massive loss,” said Owen. “You get away without Casemiro in certain games, if they were playing at home to a team outside the top four or five, then it’s not so bad.
“But when you play against the big boys when you play against the best team, then you need absolutely everybody. All your class players fit and ready to go.
“That is a massive blow. They all know it. He shrugged his shoulders to say ‘I couldn’t do anything’. But he could have. Varane was behind him. It wasn’t an absolute last-ditch challenge. And ten Hag, you saw his reaction as well. It was a bitter blow. That last ten minutes were a nightmare for them. They lose one of their best players for a big game and they concede a goal and lose two points.
“This is a massive game for Manchester United. If they get beat, then they aren’t in the title race. But if they win, then all of a sudden, it’s game on.”
PARTEY V CASEMIRO WILL HAVE TO WAIT
Both Arsenal and Manchester United’s gun midfielders were in top form and ready to battle it out on Sunday.
Many felt that whoever won that content would help their team secure the points, but now fans will have to wait until next season for that showdown.
Arsenal are already playing better football and sitting at the top of the league, so this is a massive advantage for them.
But Arteta’s men have only lost once this season, and it was against Man United, so anything can still happen.
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