In light of Manchester United’s loss to Arsenal, Diogo Dalot has sympathised with the fans and admitted that the team has struggled to put their best foot forward this season. The Red Devils lost 3-1 to the Gunners on Saturday despite Cristiano Ronaldo pulling one back for the away side.

With Manchester United drawn against Arsenal, many expected a response from the Red Devils especially after Liverpool thrashed them 4-0 during their mid-week fixture. But with their top four hopes hanging in the balance, the Red Devils failed to perform as Arsenal nearly swept them aside in the first half. Two goals from Nuno Tavares and a Bukayo Saka penalty handed the hosts a 2-0 lead but Cristiano Ronaldo pulled one back just before the break.

Yet while United’s pressure continued, they failed to break their hosts down although Diogo Dalot hit the post twice and eventually Granit Xhaka’s thunderbolt handed Arsenal a 3-1 lead. It saw Dalot admit that the game was a lesson for Manchester United and that he understands what the fans are going through because the players are as well. The full-back also admitted that the team needs to start improving and move the level of performances up more than a few levels.

“I think it’s a lesson to be honest. Some people might say bad luck and some people might say we’re not playing well. I completely understand the frustration of the fans who travelled so far to watch the game. It’s hard to go in the end and thank them for what they did during the 90 minutes, but I think this is a lesson for everyone,” Dalot told MUTV.

“We need to mature everyone in terms of the team and we need to be more energetic, to want it more than them and dominate, I think that starts from our efforts everyday.  It’s not just hope on the Saturday afternoon that things come for themselves, you play for Man United but you need to do things right, that’s the standard that I’ve learned since I’ve been here.”