Erik ten Hag was upset about Arsenal offsides again following Manchester United’s friendly defeat to the Gunners on Saturday night.

Manchester United's Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Garnacho scores past Arsenal's English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (R) but after a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) the goal is disallowed for offside during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium in London on September 3, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Argentinian midfielder Alejandro Garnacho scores past Arsenal’s English goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale (R) but after a VAR check the goal is disallowed for offside. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, Erik ten Hag’s anger about Alejandro Garnacho’s offside goal being correctly disallowed against Arsenal became a bit of a running joke amongst Gunners fans.

Though the game took place in early September, the Manchester United manager was still talking about the offside in May, suggesting it was a turning point in their season.

With that season now over, it looks like the incident is finally being put to rest. But ten Hag found a new offside to complain about after Arsenal’s friendly against United this weekend.

Manchester United's Andre Onana reacts to a goal from Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus during the pre-season club friendly football match between Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester United’s Andre Onana reacts to a goal from Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus during the pre-season club friendly football match between Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

United had taken an early lead through Rasmus Hojlund, but Arsenal swiftly equalised as Ethan Nwaneri played in Gabriel Jesus for a simple finish. The Gunners ultimately went on to win 2-1, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring the winner.

Yet ten Hag suggested afterwards that the first goal should not have stood.

“I think [the game] was a very good level for the third week of pre-season, from both sides, but in the first half I thought we were the better team,” ten Hag said.

“We scored a very good goal…I was very pleased. We also created some more good chances and we then conceded the goal which was offside.”

Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli scores a goal past Manchester United's Andre Onana during the pre-season club friendly football match between Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli scores a goal past Manchester United’s Andre Onana during the pre-season club friendly football match between Manchester United FC and Arsenal FC at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on July 27, 2024. (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Jesus may well have been slightly offside on this occasion, but there was no VAR to check the goal. Based on ten Hag’s reaction to Garnacho’s disallowed finish, it seems he doesn’t trust VAR anyway.

Back in September, ten Hag said the offside decision was “not offside”, claiming the VAR officials used “the wrong angle”.

In February, the manager said they “deserved” to win that game.

Then in May, he added that the disallowed goal was “one of the moments that our season could have gotten into a turnaround”.

You’d hope that he won’t dwell on a pre-season goal for quite such a long time.

Even in the context of this friendly alone, there were multiple offsides incorrectly given against Arsenal in the second half of the friendly, at least one of which likely would have led to a goal. It’s an incident ten Hag needs to take on the chin and move on from.