The result meant that United have now officially made the worst start of any side in the Premier League era after 10 games - with one point, no wins and a minus-22 goal difference - with yet more speculation about the future of boss Paul Heckingbottom certain to continue in the coming days.
United are certainly in a difficult spot, with opinions torn amongst the fanbase on the best course of action to get out of it. Here are seven talking points from the Emirates drubbing...
5. The McAtee/Doyle question
The return of last season’s loan star Tommy Doyle to Bramall Lane next weekend will spark inevitable question marks over whether United made the right decision in re-signing his City teammate James McAtee earlier this summer, rather than make another move for Doyle. Regardless of whether he was available or not - his wages at City always made a permanent move unlikely - it was understandable at the time why Heckingbottom plumped for McAtee, believing that United needed extra attacking firepower and another option at the top of the pitch. The City starlet has not yet recaptured the form that won him United’s young player of the year award last season and was poor again at the Emirates, easily marshaled with and without the ball and not offering the type of threat he was signed, and played, to provide. Getting more out of him - and Gus Hamer, who has also faded after a bright start to his Blades career - could be key for Heckingbottom - starting this coming weekend | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
6. Some rare good news
Allow me to venture some positivity to pierce through the doom and gloom enveloping Bramall Lane at the minute? The Blades' injury record has been well-documented, with Oli McBurnie its latest victim last weekend, but there was some rare good news in the return of George Baldock at the Emirates. Anis Slimane was also given the chance from the start on his full Premier League debut after his own hamstring issue, while John Fleck showed some bright moments carrying the ball forward, albeit with the game very much up by that point. Heckingbottom is having to utilise his threadbare squad as best he can - with teenager Ryan One handed a fairytale Premier League debut just a couple of months after signing from the Scottish third tier - but the more options at his disposal, the better | Arsenal FC via Getty Images
7. Players still believe in Hecky
Skipper Ollie Norwood declined to speak to the written media in the mixed zone at the Emirates at the game but did face questions via rights holders earlier. He was inevitably asked about the manager's future and although it must be said that players will rarely if ever come out and publicly say that they hope a manager is sacked, Norwood mounted an impassioned defence of the man in the United dugout. Norwood insisted that United "100 per cent" want Heckingbottom to carry on as their manager, making the very saliant point that neither Heckingbottom or coaches Jack Lester and Stuart McCall cross the white line on Saturdays - it is the players, with Norwood admitting that they "are not doing their jobs". The talk doing the round on social media of Heckingbottom having lost the dressing room and other such nonsense can be put to bed. "Let's be honest, the level of blame has to be put to us as players. We're not doing our job out there, are we?" Norwood said. "We're losing every week. It's not the manager of the staff who's playing, it's the players." | Arsenal FC via Getty Images