“They don’t know about football” – Andy Gray explains why Arsenal goal against Manchester United should have been disallowed

Former Scottish footballer Andy Gray believes that Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka’s stunning goal against Manchester United should not have stood.

Arsenal beat the Red Devils 3-1 at the Emirates in the Premier League on 23 April. Xhaka scored his side's third goal after firing a shot from long range in the 70th minute which effectively put the game to bed. However, Eddie Nketiah was in David de Gea’s line of sight, seemingly obstructing his view towards Xhaka due to which the Spaniard could not react in time.

Speaking to BeIN Sport (via HITC), Gray claimed that Granit Xhaka’s goal should not have stood. He said:

"I’m sorry Eddie. You have hugely interfered with the goalkeeper’s attempt. He’s already having to look past him. He is interfering with him. Full stop. They don’t know about football. I guarantee you – 100 percent – that if he [Nketiah] isn’t there, he saves it."

Arsenal were easily the better team on the day with United continuing their recent poor attacking form against the Gunners. Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal from a Nemanja Matic cross gave the Red Devils some hope.

However, they were clearly second best on the day and the 3-1 scoreline could easily have been worse. Goals from Xhaka, Nuno Tavares and Bukayo Saka gave Arsenal three crucial points.

The Gunners are now fourth, while United are sixth in the table, with the latter's chances of finishing in the top four almost over.

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Manchester United need a major overhaul in the summer

Manchester United produced another hapless and disjointed display against one of their biggest rivals. The loss virtually put an end to their top four hopes this season and fans will be disappointed with the team’s reaction. Too many players have seemed uninterested, with Paul Pogba’s season already having potentially come to an end due to an injury picked up in the last match.

Quite a few fans can still be mistaken to think that new manager Erik ten Hag does not need that big a rebuild in order to get the team working. A centre-back to replace captain Harry Maguire, a central defensive midfielder and a right-back might be enough for starters.

Ronaldo’s recent form suggests he has another good season in him. He has scored 22 goals in 35 matches in all competitions this season for United. While a new young striker needs to be signed, the 37-year-old Portuguese could still be a useful asset next season.

Jadon Sancho has shown glimpses of his explosive talent after a slow start, while Marcus Rashford needs to shake off his bad form to be a world-beater again.

Manchester United are somewhat different from the rest of the big English teams who have had to rebuild like Liverpool. The difference lies in the fact that they already have world-class players in the squad. They arguably need only a few signings and a huge tactical shift to make things work.

The hope, therefore, is that next season brings forth a Manchester United team that looks and operates very differently from the current one.