Home » Fred impresses against Arsenal despite giving away penalty

Fred impresses against Arsenal despite giving away penalty

by Leo Nieboer

Fred produced another sophisticated midfield display against Arsenal despite giving away a penalty in the 2-0 defeat to Unai Emery’s side.

The Brazilian, who dazzled against Paris Saint Germain, played with good precision in the middle, working the ball cleverly through the lines and striking the post in the first half.

It was not a perfect performance: there were times when Fred lost possession sloppily and he gave away a penalty – albeit a very soft one – which allowed Arsenal to kill the game with a second goal.

Nonetheless, the stats below give an indication of the promise Fred displayed at the Emirates.


Fred certainly brings something new, something different. He is a nimble footballer who can play in tight spaces and feed delicate passes up the pitch in a delicious kind of way. At the core of things he is a very accomplished player.

There are still some rough edges – something you’d expect for a player with only four starts in 2019. His decision making was not perfect but the intent and spirit – how he saw the game – of his general play was better than that of Paul Pogba at the Emirates.

United need players to step up as the season enters its crescendo stages. Having Fred performing at a high level every week would be a huge boost for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

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