Old Trafford leaks as much as Manchester United's defence

Old Trafford leaks as much as Manchester United's defence

Eric Munene • 13:58 - 13.05.2024

Manchester United have been criticised over their home grounds' leaking roof after a painful loss to Arsenal.

Manchester United have become the subject of jokes for their leaky Old Trafford roof after a storm created a waterfall in the stadium in the second half of Sunday's Premier League game with Arsenal.

United's hopes for a strong finish to the season were dealt a blow as they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of Arsenal. While the loss itself stung, it's the underlying issues that have once again come to the forefront, notably the leaking defence that has plagued the Red Devils throughout the campaign.

The second half of the match was played during torrential rainfall after the weather took a turn for the worse. Fans in the stadium took video of the leaking roof which have since gone viral.

One post showed water gushing below rows of seats as a result of a leak towards the back of one of the stands. One fan commented on social media, that Cristiano Ronaldo was right, referencing to the interview that the Portuguese star had with Piers Morgan in 2022 on the conditions of the facilities at the club.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the 71-year-old British billionaire who acquired a 27.7% stake in the club in February, would prefer to build a new stadium on land close to Old Trafford, although discussions have also taken place about redeveloping the existing facility.

United announced in March that a taskforce has been set up to spearhead the project. It's being led by Lord Sebastian Coe, former chair of the organizing committee for the 2012 London Olympics, and also includes Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Sara Todd, Chief Executive of Trafford Council, and former United captain Gary Neville.

The loss against the Gunners meant United have only one win in their last eight league games. They will host Newcastle in midweek before taking on Brighton on the final day at the weekend. Although European football hopes are slim, United will be looking to change their fortunes after a bad show against the league leaders.