Mourinho happy with United's soul, commitment and bravery

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho sought positives from a frustrating 2-2 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Wednesday night saying he was happy with his player's effort but not the result.

United twice equalized shortly after conceding but will be unhappy with the nature of both the goals they allowed.

The first came from a goalkeeping howler from the otherwise excellent David De Gea and the second simply from sloppy defending. United were always likely to struggle to hold things together at the back with so many defenders out injured but Mourinho felt they played well enough to earn a victory.

Speaking after the match Mourinho said: We shoot ourselves so many times during the season. Big soul by the players, fantastic attitude from the first minute. Some good performances, some players in difficulty, Dalot, Rojo, Darmian, Bailly, Smalling the boys left their souls.

The second Arsenal goal might have sucked the life out of United coming against the run of play but Jesse Lingard found a response within a minute. Mourinho felt his team were close to earning three points against Unai Emery's visiting Gunners but had things go against them at critical moments.

He added: We should win the game. We made two big mistakes for the goals. The second goal comes in an awful moment when the team was on top of the game.

The result left Manchester United back in eighth after a difficult start to the season for Mourinho but after a week where he suggested Paul Pogba was a virus in the United dressing room and lashed out at reporters from his own club's TV channel the manager was eager to praise his team's courage.

He said: There are things I can't get from them, but I can't say much more than this. Big soul, that is for sure. I prefer to just say i'm happy with the soul, commitment and bravery.

Mourinho's men face bottom of the Premier League club Fulham at Old Trafford in their next fixture on Saturday 8 December.

If it wasn't obvious, Mourinho hinting that he's lost the dressing room, or that some of the players aren't good enough? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/BxQHlmQeqA

Tom McDermott (@MrTomMcDermott) December 5, 2018

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