Manchester United lost 3-2 to Arsenal today, however, Casemiro was suspended for the game, so how vital is he to this United side?
It was evident to see that Arsenal were going to try and dominate midfield and the middle of the pitch for most of the game. United did play without Casemiro earlier in the season when the Red Devils won 3-1 at Old Trafford.
Although he did not play in that game, since then Casemiro has been a star figure for United with him winning the midfield and battling alongside Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen in that midfield three.
Splitting up play and intercepting important passes from the opposition, this is what the Brazilian is so good at and when Arsenal kept overloading the midfield with United’s midfield seemingly not there on Arsenal’s transitions.
| Casemiro being booked against Crystal Palace on Wednesday
It notified me how critical United’s number 18 is not just for the midfield but for the whole team, if he had played in the midfield today United would not have been as defensively open I would not think, which is where the last two Arsenal goals came from in the build-up play.
It also shows that Erik Ten Hag and the board need to try and get another Defensive Midfielder in who can replace Casemiro when needed.
Do you think Casemiro would have made a difference against Arsenal?