Among the talking points after Arsenal’s draw at Old Trafford was the midfield partnership of Coquelin and Elneny.

Questions about whether or not they’re suitable options to play alongside each other in midfield, and why, exactly, Ramsey was deployed on the left-hand side as opposed to a more central role alongside the two (creating a 4-3-3) were asked en masse.

Individually, Elneny didn’t do too much wrong in the grand scheme of things against Manchester United. He was, as usual, tidy in possession and did well to cover a lot of ground when United looked threatening with the ball in the middle third.

As shown by his player dashboard below, Elneny’s passes were mainly successful and criticism over whether he plays forward with enough regularity is harsh upon reflection.

However given the lack of movement ahead of him from team-mates, it’s hard for him to try much more than he is, without significantly increasing the likelihood of needless mistakes creeping into his game.

Elneny's lack of movement from forward options ahead of him limited the amount of meaningful forward passes he could complete, resulting in a scattered dashboard here. (Photo: FourFourTwo)
Elneny’s lack of movement from forward options ahead of him limited the amount of meaningful forward passes he could complete, resulting in a scattered dashboard here. (Photo: FourFourTwo)

With 71 touches, the third-highest of any Arsenal player on the afternoon, it is clear to see that the Egyptian was trying to help his side in transition.

Defensively, he’s not yet an established presence in comparison to more of his experienced team-mates. His part in Juan Mata’s opener highlighted one of his main weaknesses. Often he can be caught out positionally, and this is due to ball-watching.

By the time the danger was recognised, the damage had been done and players were given free reign to overload in the area.

Arsenal's Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny (R) tackles Manchester United's French midfielder Paul Pogba during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on November 19, 2016 in Manchester, England.
Arsenal’s Egyptian midfielder Mohamed Elneny (R) tackles Manchester United’s French midfielder Paul Pogba during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on November 19, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Picture source: Paul Ellis / AFP / Getty Images)

This is an issue that Elneny should be able to eradicate from his game, provided he is given adequate time to understand and analyse where he can improve.

Replaced shortly after the 70 minute mark by Olivier Giroud in an attacking change, Elneny didn’t have a poor game but was unspectacular overall.