Christian Eriksen has admitted Manchester United benefited from a refereeing error during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.
The Danish midfielder acknowledged that referee Anthony Taylor's positioning of Arsenal's defensive wall gave Bruno Fernandes an advantage for his stunning free-kick.
Sky Sports analysis revealed the Gunners' wall was placed 11.2 yards from the ball.
This distance exceeds the minimum 10-yard requirement stipulated in the laws of the game.
Bruno Fernandes scored after Arsenal's wall was deployed too far back
Reuters
Fernandes capitalised on the extra space to score just before half-time, giving United the lead against the run of play.
The positioning error gave Fernandes crucial extra space to execute his set-piece.
Taylor's misjudgement allowed the Portuguese midfielder to get the ball up and over the wall with greater ease.
The laws clearly state defenders must be "a minimum of 10 yards" from the ball at free-kicks.
In this case, Arsenal's players were forced to stand significantly further back than required.
This technical error ultimately proved costly for the Gunners, who had been dominating proceedings before the goal.
The additional 1.2 yards may seem minimal, but at the highest level of football, such margins can prove decisive.
Eriksen was refreshingly candid about the advantage United received from the referee's error.
"[We were] happy that the wall was a few metres away," the midfielder admitted after the match.
"You saw how far back they were and it was beneficial for us.
Bruno Fernandes' goal saw United draw 1-1 with Arsenal
PA
"It makes it easier for Bruno to get the ball over the wall. We felt relief from the fans in the stadium after the goal."
Despite Arsenal's efforts, they could only manage an equaliser through Declan Rice in the second half.
The Gunners pushed for a winner but couldn't find a breakthrough at Old Trafford.
"It helps that the wall was about 15 metres back!"
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 9, 2025
Christian Eriksen on the distance of Arsenal's wall from Bruno Fernandes' free-kick 📏 pic.twitter.com/86ykolHd5j
United nearly snatched all three points at the death, with only an impressive double save by David Raya denying Fernandes.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure after the match.
"When we had the first half that we had where we were exceptional, we didn't test the keeper," he told Sky Sports.
"We opened the gate to lose the game. There was no chance to lose the game and we opened it ourselves."
