The cross was amazing and I thought maybe why not do this run and the ball was perfect and I scored." On the assist: "The big players have to produce magic moments and it was a great delivery. We got the timing and execution right."

On there being no more international fixtures this year: "You know it is a very important period over Christmas you have lots of games. We have to focus for sure and be 100% on Arsenal games." Defeat by Bournemouth leaves the Blades seven points behind the Cherries. Given that it's taken us 13 games to cobble together five points, that already looks like a near-insurmountable gap to a supposed relegation rival.After all the drama of the past few weeks, and some admittedly poor performances, now we get to learn how likely it is the Blades can stay in the top flight. Because of this, the international break is dragging. There’s very much a sense of a 'let’s get on with this' feel. People are eager to see what’s going to happen. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, speaking to MOTD: "So happy with the way we competed, the way we played and kept going. I think we deserved to win the game. Compliments to their players as it is a hard place to come. England games against Malta and North Macedonia are no distraction. This is it for United. A huge month. Let’s see what they’re capable of.

We knew Bournemouth would try to start that way. We never really recovered. To concede the way we did before half-time then makes it difficult.

Our Range

We know as a group that that wasn't good enough. We need to be better and generally we have been. We did keep going until the end, the effort was that but we dropped below our usual standards. There is no point coming out here making excuses, we were just miles off it today and we deserve it, we got beat. We just spoke about it in the dressing room, straight from the start it wasn’t a performance we had been speaking about and the boys had done in the last few games, it is a strange one, we can’t put our finger on it, we can’t make any excuses for it. It is not good enough. We need to be better next week in the big game. Sheffield United have conceded 34 goals in the Premier League this season, the most by a side after 13 games in a top-flight campaign since Barnsley (36) and Sheffield Wednesday (35) both in 1997-98. On their performance: "I think we were at our best today you cannot have a fluid game here you have to play their game.