Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba has said that his “stupid mistake” was the reason for Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat against Arsenal at Old Trafford—a loss which saw the club record their worst start to a season at home for 48 years.
Pogba’s second-half foul on Arsenal’s wing-back, Hector Bellerin, resulted in referee Mike Dean awarding a penalty from which Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored to seal the Gunners’ first win at Old Trafford since September 2006.
The defeat was United’s third in four Premier League home games—they drew 0-0 with Chelsea in the other—and leaves the team sitting in 15th position.
The France international, Pogba, said that his error was the key factor in United’s latest Old Trafford setback.
“I felt like I touched him (Bellerin) a bit, I knew I was in the box,” Pogba told BBC Match of the Day.
“I shouldn’t have given a penalty away like that.
“Maybe I was a bit out of breath; it made me do this stupid mistake.
“We know it is a poor performance. Myself, I cannot give a foul away like this. I thought I would touch the ball but I didn’t. I cost us the goal today with the penalty,” he said.
Despite his latest mistake, it was the third time that Pogba had conceded a penalty in United’s last five games at Old Trafford.