Jose Mourinho waves the white flag

United’s top four challenge ground to a halt on Sunday following a limp and negative display against Arsenal

Manchester United’s twenty-five game unbeaten run disappeared into the ether at the Emirates Stadium last Sunday afternoon, with the same insipid dullness which it has progressed throughout its six month run. If you had told United fan’s at the commencement of the campaign that their team would stride from October to April, the main-course of the league season, unbeaten, they would have been giddy with imaginings of a glorious twenty-first championship crown. Instead however, during that run they have progressed from sixth… to fifth.

The indifference afforded the game by many involved, including Jose Mourinho, meant it resembled a post-season friendly, relevant only because it reminded us of the combustible and dramatic epics this fixture used to guarantee.

United approached the game much as they did their last away league outing against Manchester City, sitting back and defending deep with ten men behind the ball, hoping to punish Arsenal with their pacey counter attack.

Yet just as it did against City, their attacking threat evaporated after the opening twenty minutes. Wayne Rooney was slowing down any quick creativity in midfield, while Anthony Martial was being outnumbered by the Arsenal back three. United were missing the decisiveness of Marcus Rashford and Antonio Valencia in their breaks and any counter attack quickly petered out.

Eventually recognising United were for some reason playing for a draw, Arsene Wenger’s men were able to summon enough attacking potency to win the match with relative comfort, Granit Xhaka and Danny Welbeck getting on the score sheet.

Injuries, suspensions and a new found reverence for the Europa League meant Jose Mourinho made eight changes to the side that beat Celta Vigo, but this was still very much a capable starting eleven, such is United’s strength in depth. 19-year old Axel Tuanzebe, who was impressively assured on his first United start, was the only player on show who hasn’t featured regularly under Mourinho.

United’s season has floundered primarily because of an inability to get results at home against weaker teams. Swansea, Everton, West Brom, Bournemouth, Hull, Stoke, West Ham and Burnley have all taken a point each from Old Trafford this season, mostly in games United had enough opportunities to win.

Against the lower teams United have played good, at times great football, and have been genuinely unlucky on several occasions. You feel next season that, by the balance of probability and the sheer talent at their disposal, which is only going to be enhanced in the summer, a significant number of those draws will be bettered. This is precisely why Manchester United fans will find these results easier to stomach than the failings against their top six counterparts.

In nine matches, against Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea this season, Jose Mourinho, the man who built a large part of his success by achieving an exceptional win rate in big games, has won just two.

An even more damming statistic is that in the four away fixtures against their close rivals so far this season, they have lost by a total result of 6–0, and they still have to visit White Hart Lane.

A victory against Manchester City, and United would have been one point off their neighbours in fourth, with a game in hand. Having spent most of the season languishing in sixth this represented a tremendous opportunity. Mourinho however, set up to take a draw instead of playing to win the match, something the players at his disposal were very capable of doing.

On Sunday, Liverpool once again opened the door for United by drawing at home to Southampton. A victory over an Arsenal team that are notoriously meager, who’s manager has reverted to a back three in desperation and who’s fans are one more big loss away from all out mutiny, would have put United two points off their Merseyside rivals with a game in hand.

Instead Mourinho set his United side up as if they were taking on Guardiola’s Barcelona. Juan Mata and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, two players who have shown an ability in the final third to unlock games this season, played much of the match as auxiliary full backs.

It is no mystery why United have spent the season perennially camped just outside the top four. As every time they have an opportunity to break into the Champions League places, of which there have been many, they shy away from chance.

Mourinho has brought to United a much needed arrogance and charisma that was sucked out of the club when Sir Alex Fergusson retired. He also offered an assuredness in last summer’s transfer market that had been absent from the clubs transfer dealings for many years. Other then against the big teams, he has generally played an exciting, attacking brand of football, and has undoubtedly been a major improvement on his two predecessors.

However his eye-bleeding approach to big games will now begin to be a concern for Manchester United fans. At Chelsea, Mourinho was the manager who would win at all costs. At United, he appears to be the manager who will avoid losing at all costs.

When asked about prioritising the Europa League over a top four finish before the Arsenal game, Mourinho explained that with two victories in the Europa League United would qualify for the Champions League. But finishing in the top four would require, an astonishing four victories. Would aiming for six victories be too much to ask for?