7 Truths: Manchester United are NOT unlucky; Barcelona really do need Lionel Messi

"This team at the moment is the unluckiest team in the Premier League - that is the reality…” – Mourinho presumably wanted to highlight just how fortunate Arsenal were to grab a point at Old Trafford, but all he ended up doing is sounding pretty ridiculous. The reason United drew was because they didn’t take more of their chances and allowed Olivier Giroud a free header.

United, having spent an obscene amount of money and been afforded every opportunity to succeed, cannot blame bad luck on anything, particularly after a string of poor results. Mourinho’s side are eight points off the top of the Premier League table and the more Mourinho points to misfortune, the harder it will be for his side to address their problems and become relevant challengers again.

When Lionel Messi was ruled out of Barcelona’s clash with Malaga through sickness it was undoubtedly a big blow, and so it proved as his side struggled - and ultimately failed - to break down the nine men of their visitors. However, Luis Enrique’s men should really have still found a way past a mid-table team who had a numerical disadvantage and were playing away from home, even without Messi and the suspended Luis Suarez.

Barcelona may have enjoyed a staggering 76 per cent of the possession, but without Messi and Suarez, they simply couldn’t convert their many chances and grab all three points. With Neymar still leading a star-studded line up they really should have come through, but without Messi around things are never as simple as they seem.

[Best Tweets: No Messi or Suarez for Barcelona, fans left stunned and emotional]

There is little doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a Euro 2016 hangover and has not been at his best this season. However, talk of his decline is laughably premature. Ronaldo is a changed player but still *the* man.

He may not be as devastatingly explosive or dynamic as he once was but he remains the main man at Real Madrid. And what better way to re-affirm that than with a hat-trick during the last derby against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon?

Michael Carrick has started six matches this season, and United have won five of them. The stats don't lie - in 2014-15, United picked up 2.44 points per league game Carrick started, as opposed to 1.41 when he did not.

Last season, United managed 1.91 points per league game he started, and just 1.50 when he did not. Some people do not see what he brings to a team – he rarely scores or even makes goals, but he allows other United players to flourish and brings a calmness to the United back four by always being available for an out ball.

Arsene Wenger has struck on something very special: using Olivier Giroud as a specialist super-sub. Having persisted with the idea that the Frenchman was a leading man last season, Wenger has stumbled upon a much more suitable role for the striker, and he must not be tempted to waver.

As Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proved for United, there is a reason why certain players thrive as a substitute. Giroud’s physical presence in the box causes a real threat for tired defences and he capitalised on the space that he was inexplicably allowed against United. As long as Giroud is happy to be confined to the role, Wenger must stick with it.

It seems ridiculous to say that Manchester City needed another top midfielder to get the best out of their side given all the money that has been spent and the array of options at Pep Guardiola’s disposal. But Yaya Toure is no ordinary midfielder and his playing style is so well suited to the Premier League that Guardiola simply had to utilise his talents at some stage.

There is no City midfielder like Toure and, with his public apology finally behind him, the hope has to be that he is now afforded a good run in the team under Guardiola. It was always assumed that Toure would be cast aside given his falling out with the boss at Barcelona, but with Juan Mata thriving under Mourinho, there is hope yet that he can be afforded a key role going forward.

Borussia Dortmund’s huge Bundesliga clash with Bayern Munich was sold out for the 29th season in succession as 81,360 fans packed out the stadium in memorable fashion. While the match was tense and captivating, fans spent much more time talking on social media about how incredible the atmosphere was.

There are, of course, many stands across European stadiums which generate a special and unique atmosphere, but the ‘Yellow Wall’ at Dortmund again generated an incredible buzz. It’s always hard to know how much fans influence the result of a game, but the Dortmund fans again showed why their stadium – and as a result their team when at home - is so hard to beat.