Manchester United broke an unwanted 53-year streak in their defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon.
Erik ten Hag's side went into the Old Trafford showdown with the Gunners in desperate need of maximum points as they bid to finish in the top seven of the Premier League standings.
Chelsea's comeback 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest a day earlier had left the Red Devils three points adrift of the Blues with an inferior goal difference and just three games left.
However, an injury-hit United would ultimately fall to yet another defeat in the top flight as they went down by a 1-0 scoreline at the Theatre of Dreams.
The decisive goal came midway through the first half when Arsenal took advantage of Casemiro failing to get back up to speed with the rest of the United backline and seeing the visitors breach the offside trap to set up Leandro Trossard for a close-range finish.
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United will take the positives from not conceding any further goals to the leaders, particularly on the back of shipping four strikes at Crystal Palace at the beginning of last week.
Nevertheless, it did not stop them from adding more negative statistics that may stand the test of time in history when reports are intensifying that Ten Hag could be sacked at the end of the season.
What is the latest entry to the record books?
Across their 49 matches in all competitions during 2023-24, United have now conceded 82 times, more than they have shipped since the 1970-71 campaign.
Furthermore, United have now suffered nine defeats at Old Trafford throughout this season, which is a joint-record for the club with one match remaining.
Despite those numbers, United still remain with the sixth-best defensive record in the Premier League, conceding just three more times than Aston Villa who sit in fourth position.
However, just nine wins have been recorded from their 18 league fixtures at Old Trafford, with United scoring just two more times (28) than they have conceded (26).
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What next for United and Ten Hag?
Although losing to Arsenal made it just one point collected from a possible nine in recent games, Ten Hag was taking the positives from 'being competitive' against the new frontrunners.
That said, United now conclude the season with matches against Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion potentially requiring victories in each to have a realistic chance of ending the season in seventh.
Should United defeat sixth-placed Newcastle on Wednesday, they would sit level on points with the Magpies with one fixture remaining, with Newcastle going to Brentford on the final day.
Meanwhile, as a result of their superior goal difference, Chelsea can guarantee a top-seven finish if they better Man United's result on Wednesday, with the Blues playing Brighton at the Amex Stadium.
Darren Plant
