‘No tackles, no fighting’ - Solskjaer responds to Roy Keane’s Manchester United criticism of Arsenal defeat

Tom Doyle2 November 2020

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lamented Manchester United’s lack of fight against Arsenal after Roy Keane claimed the current squad is not filled with “guys you trust.”

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s second-half penalty earned Arsenal a 1-0 victory in Manchester on Sunday – their first Premier League win at Old Trafford since 2006.

The result was another setback for Solskjaer, whose side are sitting 15th in the table after losing three of their opening six League games this season and are yet to win at home domestically.

United’s meek defeat was also in stark contrast to their 5-0 Champions League rout of RB Leipzig in the previous match, and former club captain Keane offered a withering assessment of the character of Solskjaer’s squad.

Working as a Sky Sports pundit for the game, Keane said he did not "see guys you want to be in the trenches with, guys you trust".

In Pictures | Manchester United vs Arsenal | 01/11/2020

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When those comments were put to Solskjaer, the United boss said: "Well, in the first half there were no tackles, no fighting, you have got to create atmosphere yourself.

"These games against Arsenal were always fierce, tackles flying.

"We didn't have the tempo or intensity for that, absolutely, and I was disappointed with the first-half performance.

"In the second half we were better. Unfortunately, they got the penalty and we just couldn't produce the response."

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