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Bruno Fernandes found the back of the net for Manchester United against Arsenal from a direct free-kick. It was later discovered that Arsenal’s wall stood more than 10 yards away.
Arsenal and Manchester United were left with mixed feelings following their 1-1 draw. Manchester United took the lead with a brilliant Bruno Fernandes free-kick, while Declan Rice equalized for Arsenal. However, during the game, Arsenal’s defensive wall was incorrectly positioned, allowing Fernandes to score. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, however, refused to point fingers at his players or the referee, instead offering praise for Fernandes’ cleverness in exploiting the mistake.
Just before half-time, Manchester United were awarded a free-kick 25 yards from goal. Arsenal’s wall was positioned 11.2 yards from the ball instead of the required 10 yards, providing Fernandes the opportunity to curl a precise shot over the wall, past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Despite dominating possession in the first half, Arsenal struggled to create clear-cut chances.
After the game, a lot of conversation focused on the wall’s placement and whether referee Anthony Taylor made a mistake by failing to make sure the wall was at the proper distance. However, when questioned about the incident in his post-match interview, Arteta took an unexpected stance. Rather than criticizing the officials or his players, he commended Fernandes for his intelligence in seizing the opportunity.
“If he has capitalised on that, he is more clever than us and the referee,” Arteta said. “Football is for clever people.” This response demonstrated Arteta’s refusal to make excuses and his admiration for Fernandes, who has consistently proven to be a formidable opponent for Arsenal due to his ability to influence games from midfield. Despite the setback, Arsenal showed resilience in the second half, with Rice scoring a powerful shot from the edge of the box to equalize.
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