UEFA Champions League: Man U Eliminated As Arsenal Progress

By: Gyang Dakwo

Manchester United’s European adventure is over for 2023-24 after a 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern Munich left them bottom of Group A.

United needed to win and hope Galatasaray drew at FC Copenhagen, but both results went against them as Kingsley Coman’s strike saw Erik ten Hag’s side concede their 15th goal in just six games – the most ever by a Premier League team in the group stage.

The defeat is sure to heap more pressure on United manager Erik ten Hag, but the damage to his side was done earlier in the season when they failed to win three of their four games against Copenhagen and Galatasaray.

Eddie Nketiah struck for Arsenal as a much-changed Gunners side claimed a point against PSV in their final Champions League Group B game.

Both sides had already secured first and second-placed finishes in the group respectively, meaning Mikel Arteta and Peter Bosz took the opportunity to make a combined 13 changes to their XIs.

The visitors showed the effects of so many alterations in the opening stages but gradually gained control of the game and went into half-time ahead thanks to Nketiah’s clinical finish.

PSV quickly restored parity through Yorbe Vertessen, though, and were the more impressive of the teams in the second half – although Walter Benitez was forced into an excellent save to deny Leandro Trossard a last-gasp winner.

But with qualification assured long ago, it was a night when returning to London unscathed ahead of a busy festive schedule was of paramount importance to Arteta and his side. In that respect, it was job done.