Sunday 20 November 2016 08:04, UK
Jose Mourinho believes Manchester United are the unluckiest team in the Premier League after they conceded a late equaliser against Arsenal on Saturday.
Olivier Giroud powered home an 89th-minute header with Arsenal's first effort on target to salvage a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford and consign United to a third straight league draw at home after frustrating outings against Burnley and Stoke.
They dominated for large spells against the Gunners but failed to put their chances away before Giroud's effort, leading Mourinho to lament his side's poor fortune.
"We were the best team by far," he told Sky Sports. "I don't want to say they didn't want to win, I prefer to say they had no chances to win.
"They could not be Arsenal the way they normally play. We were phenomenal from a defensive point of view.
"The way we pressed, the way we were very strong, the way we controlled their counter attacks, the way we controlled their best players. We were phenomenal.
"I am really happy with the team, but at the moment I consider us the unluckiest team in the Premier League because it is the reality.
"If you analyse the last three matches. Against Stoke we have to win 5-0 or 6-0 and we draw. Against Burnley we have to win 5-0 or 6-0 and we draw and today we have to win 2-0 or 3-0 and we draw.
"We are the unluckiest team but the team is playing well, the players are working really well."
United had a penalty shout turned down by Andre Marriner in the first half when Antonio Valencia went down under the challenge of Nacho Monreal.
But Mourinho refused to criticise the referee, describing Marriner as "an honest man".
"I have a very good feeling with Andre Marriner," he continued. "He is the kind of referee that if he makes mistakes against my team, I know there is no intention.
"I remember the words he told us before the game in the dressing room and the words were, 'I don't want to be seen, I want you to help me do my work.'
"He's right, he doesn't want to be the star of the show. He wants to be an honest man and a good referee. If it was a mistake I don't want to say yes or no.
"I know because I have watched on the video a few times, but I don't want to say whether it is a mistake or not."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain skipped past Marcus Rashford before setting up the equaliser for Giroud, but Mourinho was keen to avoid attaching blame to the young forward.
"First of all, Chamberlain is a fast and fresh player on the pitch," he added. "He has a one-on-one against a kid that everybody wants to play every minute of every game but that's not possible.
"He was beaten in the one against one and then they have a cross into the box in a moment when they have, not just the strikers, but a central defender in [Laurent] Koscielny.
"The numbers we had to compete was not the best and we conceded a goal we didn't deserve.
"The only time we had a situation we couldn't resolve, they scored the goal so they were the lucky ones and we were the unlucky ones. That's football."
