Daily Mail
"This was a poor game and by the end of it, Arsenal were clinging on for a draw against a Sheffield United side who equalised seven minutes from time through John Fleck and remain four points ahead of them in the Premier League," writes Oliver Holt for the Daily Mail .
"The Arteta Revolution has not got off to a fast start. It has been bloodless and colourless. On Saturday, it was toothless. Some of the Arsenal fans streaming towards the exits before the final whistle screamed at their new manager to 'sort it out'.
"On this evidence, that may take a while. A draw was what they deserved. No more.
"Not that we should have been surprised by this result. Many people expected Chris Wilder's side to win here, a reflection of their rise as much as Arsenal's fall. They have already drawn at Chelsea and Spurs this season – in fact, they have only lost to Liverpool and Manchester City on their travels - and even though they were not at their best, they acquitted themselves well here, too.
"It is a sign of how far they have come that Wilder and his side did not greet this draw as a cause of celebration.
"Arsenal have now won just one game in six league matches since Arteta was appointed manager before Christmas. They remained 10th in the table after this result. It is not a false position. They are a long way from being a force in the game again."
The Telegraph
"Signs of promise, particularly in youth, but a lingering defensive vulnerability that undermined their attacking efforts. Sound familiar? It must feel that way for Mikel Arteta, who has only been in charge for six games but is already flicking through the same script as his predecessors in the Arsenal dugout," writes Sam Dean for the Telegraph.
"Once again, Arsenal showed glimpses of the football they want to be playing under Arteta. Once again, they took the lead. Once again, their defence failed to hold firm under pressure, and three points soon became one.
"At least it was one point, because by the end it may well have been none against a Sheffield United side that started strongly and finished stronger at the Emirates. John Fleck scored the second-half equaliser for Chris Wilder’s team, who had fallen behind when the energetic Gabriel Martinelli, only 18, had put Arsenal ahead.
"There was refereeing controversy, too. That felt almost as inevitable as Arsenal’s defensive surrender, given it was Mike Dean’s 500th Premier League match.
"The great showman of the refereeing world has never missed an opportunity to take centre stage and his refusal (along with VAR) to award Arsenal a penalty in the second half was a key moment of the afternoon."
The Guardian
"You can make a team run harder, recalibrate their tactics and offer everyone a clean slate, but you cannot correct an entire mentality in the space of a month," writes Nick Ames for the Guardian.
"Mikel Arteta is finding out the hard way that Arsenal’s lack of resolve is deep-rooted and the latest evidence, a third occasion during his six-game tenure in which they have thrown away a lead, carried a particular sting.
"Arsenal were rarely in too much trouble against a Sheffield United side that were, by Chris Wilder’s admission, some way short of their best.
"But they did not exactly brim with threat themselves despite going ahead through a goal on the verge of half-time by their outstanding 18-year-old forward Gabriel Martinelli; efforts to kill the game off lacked conviction and John Fleck’s well-taken equaliser ensured an outcome that was probably fair on a scrappy, stop-start afternoon."
The Indepedent
"Arsenal, even on their best days this season, have looked alarmingly susceptible at the back," writes Callum Rice-Coates for the Independent. "And that sense of constant danger was elevated against an accomplished Sheffield United side.
"In the first half, the Blades squandered a couple of excellent chances and were given far too much space in the final third throughout. But it’s hardly surprising. Mikel Arteta, given his lack of defensive options, was forced to field a makeshift back four of Ainsley Maitland-Niles, David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Bukayo Saka, who filled in commendably at left back.
"These are not ideal circumstances for Arsenal’s new manager, though, and he will be more aware than anyone of the need to strengthen at the back."
