Arsenal fans see red as naive Gunners choke against Man U

Arsenal lived up to all of their stereotypes on Saturday, with even the fans joining in, as they conspired to lose to Manchester United at the Emirates, a result that condemns the Gunners to their worst start to a season for 32 years.

Arsene Wenger's side dominated possession but failed to find a way past an inspired David de Gea in the United goal and were undone, once again, by a breakaway goal that highlighted the team's tactical shortcomings.

Elsewhere, Jack Wilshere rolled his ankle, there were signs of anti-Wenger dissent in the stands and one disgruntled north Londoner even threw a glass of red wine at the Man United bench after Kieran Gibbs put the visitors ahead with an own goal.

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United may lodge a complaint about the incident involving the wine. A supporter was arrested at the Emirates in the aftermath of an "angry exchange between some of the club's substitutes and fans in the seats behind them", according to The Guardian.

"There has long been the feeling at United that their staff and substitutes lack proper protection at the Emirates as the visiting dugout seats are out in the open," adds the paper, which describes the incident as "sour grapes", while the Daily Telegraph says that the fan in question "saw red" after the goal.

There is no room for puns in The Times, just disbelief at the way the Gunners "have taken their gaucheness to another level" this season. Lamenting the side's "kamikaze approach" Matt Hughes says that "Arsenal's preferred method of self-destruction is becoming even more hackneyed than the Groundhog Day cliches used to describe it".

He points out that Arsenal do not have a league win against a club outside the bottom seven this season. Already the campaign "feels as if it is on the brink of disintegration one third of the way through the campaign", he says. "The problems experienced by Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and even United, as well as the odd Champions League win, have helped to disguise Arsenal's shortcomings, which are severe."

There was another significant incident in the crowd on Saturday when stewards confiscated a 'Wenger out' banner from a fan. It was "symbolic of a definite split that has opened in the Arsenal fan base", reports Jeremy Wilson of the Telegraph.

"Many remain protective of [Wenger] and sensitive to any perceived disrespect but even the greatest loyalists will be feeling more pessimism than ever at how it all may end."