Manchester United’s performance against Arsenal will give them confidence they can knock out Real Sociedad on Thursday and reach the Europa League quarter-finals, says Gary Neville.
Bruno Fernandes’ controversial free-kick goal was eventually cancelled out by Declan Rice in Sunday’s 1-1 draw but United carved out several big opportunities in the second half of the Premier League clash and were cheered off by the home fans at Old Trafford.
United remain in the bottom half of the Premier League and their hopes of silverware – and a route back to the Champions League – rest on the Europa League and the second leg of their tie with Real Sociedad, which stands at 1-1 after the opener in Spain.
Neville says United boss Ruben Amorim, his players and the club’s fans can go into the decisive match with increased belief after responding positively to last week’s FA Cup exit to Fulham.
“It could have gone really badly wrong for Amorim this week after Fulham and going out of the FA Cup,” said the Sky Sports pundit on The Gary Neville Podcast.
“I think they’ll feel a little more confident leaving the stadium, the United players. I think it’s been a decent few days for them.
“There were still elements of that performance that were well short but at least they got the result and did pick up in the second half.
“I thought the back five stuck at their task, I thought Casemiro had one of his better games.
“The big game is on Thursday and Real Sociedad are going to be tough but I thought they did well in the first 60-65 minutes in Spain and there’s something to build on.
“Can they finish the season stronger and have a run in the Europa League? That’s going to make or break Amorim’s end to the season.”
Reflecting on United’s limited threat in the first half and their improved display after the break, Neville said: “United don’t like playing [at Old Trafford] at the moment. It’s a struggle for them. There’s a weight on their shoulders that exists that means they find it difficult.
“But they can, in moments, when they get a goal, all of a sudden, just rise. You saw that.
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Jamie Redknapp discusses Ruben Amorim’s acknowledgment of Manchester United not being good enough and why they should not look to replace him
“Second half, I thought they played some decent stuff. They were obviously still up against it with Arsenal but they created some big moments, there were some big chances for United.
“David Raya made some great saves, Rasmus Hojlund again demonstrated why he’s not quite sharp enough in front of goal. He could have got the shot away quicker when Declan Rice tackles him, his touch could have been to the left.
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Premier League fixture against Arsenal with former club captain Gary Neville understanding the fans frustrations with the current situation at Old Trafford. ” srcset=”https://e0.365dm.com/25/03/768×432/skysports-gary-neville-manchester-united_6851484.jpg?20250309181654 600w,https://e0.365dm.com/25/03/1600×900/skysports-gary-neville-manchester-united_6851484.jpg?20250309181654″ aria-hidden=”true” class=”sdc-site-video__poster-img”/>
Manchester United supporters protested against the club’s ownership ahead of their Premier League fixture against Arsenal, with former club captain Gary Neville understanding the fans’ frustrations
“I think Amorim will be really happy with the second half. United have got a higher xG [expected goals] than Arsenal and that doesn’t surprise me. They didn’t score in the second half but I thought the performance was so much better.
“I think United fans can live with that – if they’re defending deep but still a threat going forward, that isn’t a problem. The problem is the first half, when you’re defending deep and offer nothing.”
