Manchester United scored a vital win over Arsenal at Old Trafford despite Wayne Rooney missing a second half penalty. Sir Alex Ferguson’s side fully deserved the 1-0 win after a combative display in Manchester, with Arsenal rarely showing the free-flowing football that brought the visitors to the Premier League summit last week.
The win gives United a two-point lead heading into next week’s clash with Chelsea.
Understandably, Ferguson was delighted with his side’s performance against the high-flying visitors and United will now head to London with renewed confidence.
“I think we had to play well. These are the games in which you want to perform and I think we did perform tonight,” said Ferguson.
“Recently we have been playing well and today was another good performance. Second half Arsenal came into it a bit but they didn’t make any real chances but they pegged us back a little bit. We should have made more of our chances on the break.
“We’ve got a difficult game against Chelsea next Sunday. That’s going to be a very important game now. If the back four plays with that consistency it gives us a chance.”
Ferguson pulled a mild surprising in dropping Dimitar Berbatov for the Londoners’ visit. Despite the Bulgarian sitting out most of last season’s major fixtures, Berbatov remains United’s top goalscorer this season. Still, with Ferguson preferring three in central midfield United began with a combative trio of Darren Fletcher, Anderson and Michael Carrick.
Ferguson’s selection proved a forebear for the opening half, with proceedings fiercely – often physically – competitive. Indeed, Arsenal, painted by the visiting fans as close to saintliness, was arguably the more combative of the sides, repeatedly fouling Anderson in particular.
United always gives as good as it gets in that department though, with energy and endeavour superseding flowing football on both sides for the most part.
The hosts though took the game to Arsenal for much of the opening 45; perhaps more than was expected by the neutral. Rooney, twice, and Nani each tested débutant Wojciech Szczesny in the visitors’ goal. Anderson then had a good shout for a penalty turned down by referee Howard Webb when Marouane Chamakh appeared to handle inside the area.
Meanwhile, Arsenal seemed content to wait for opportunities on the break that rarely materialised as Carrick, Fletcher and especially Anderson dominated the central midfield area.
Yet, for all the bluster few genuine chances were created by either side until Nani collected Fletcher’s flick-on from Edwin van der Sar’s long punt to create the opening goal. As the Portuguese cut inside his deflected left-foot shot found Park Ji-Sung for the Korean to acrobatically head a looped effort over Szczesny and into the net.
It might have broken previous Arsenal sides, whose fragile collective temperament has often let Wenger’s side down. Yet the Londoners’ started the second half in far more positive vein as both Samir Nasri and Chamakh went close for the visitors.
United continued to dominate the tempo of the game though, with better Arsenal possession after the break not equating to clear-cut chances. Indeed, the Reds could twice have a double the advantage only for Nani to waste opportunities or lose possession at the crucial moment.
Arsenal had its 20-year-old ‘keeper to thank for keeping the side in the game as Rooney slipped in Anderson only for the Brazilian to strike straight at Szczesny. For all his energy Anderson has never found goalscoring easy at Old Trafford and was often wasteful in the final third of the pitch.
What could have been match’s pivotal moment came with 20 to go as Ferguson’s side was awarded the penalty that could so easily have come in the opening half, after Gael Clichy’s handball. Rooney, who is yet to score from open play this season, blasted the penalty high over the bar to keep Arsenal in the match.
The miss should have galvanised the visitors into one final push for an equaliser. But for all Arsenal’s extra endeavour in the second period Wenger’s side all too rarely threatened van der Sar’s goal. Ridiculously, Wenger blamed the state of the Old Trafford pitch rather than looking closer to home for answers.
Pretenders to the throne, abdicating early once again.
Rooney could even have double United’s advantage with moments to go, brilliantly lobbing Szczesny only for the 6’5″ ‘keeper to palm the effort away as United eased out the final minutes.
“These games sometimes you don’t play well you’ve just got to go out there and do as well as you can,” said Rio Ferdinand.
“We perhaps didn’t show as much as we can but it was about going out there and getting the three points.
“Arsenal test you in different ways, they’re a very talented side. They’re quick and can score at any time but today we contained them well and had the best chances.”
This is no vintage United side but any Ferguson team has heart and tonight the home side showed it in spades.
It certainly wasn’t the free-flowing football of Ferguson’s sides at their best but in containing and controlling the match United fully deserved the result and the Premier League lead.
Match Facts
United – 451 – Van der Sar; Rafael Da Silva, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Anderson (Giggs 85), Carrick, Fletcher; Nani, Rooney, Park Ji-Sung.
Arsenal – 433 – Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Squillaci, Clichy; Nasri, Rosicky (Fabregas 64), A Song, Wilshere (Van Persie 64), Arshavin (Walcott 77); Chamakh.
Attendance – 75,227
Man of the Match – Ferdinand
Possession: United 51% – 49% Arsenal
Attempts: 14 – 11
On Target: 4 – 5
Corners: 5 – 4
Fouls: 7 – 16
Well done mancs, am a gooner and wished u fucked Wenger more, Adams and Keown and Graham will not allow such a cunt to rule
Slightly depressing to hear SAF say that we played well… We couldnt string 2 passes together, and sometimes it almost felt like watching some kind of Wimbledon-style kick and run football out there… I didnt enjoy watching this but I suppose its the three points that matters and not how we get them… It was also very suprising to see that Berbatov was axed. The guy scores 5 in one game and is on the bench the next game, what does he have to do to get a continued run and build up confidence and momentum?? If SAF really wants Berb to fire on all cylinders he has to play him, and not endlessly break up his stride! I know I am being very negative here and should be happy abut the topspot in the league (and I am:) but the way we are playing at the moment just isnt the United way.
Good old Arsene refused to acknowledge his side’s shortcomings and blamed the pitch. Maybe he needs to get his kit-man to have a word with the company that supplies Utd with magic boots such that the Utd team were able to play. OK, heavy-handed sarcasm there…the point being that even if the OT pitch was shite, the mark of champions is that they find a way to win whatever the conditions. This current generation of Gooners just lacks heart.
Very disappointed with United, ESPECIALLY Wayne Rooney who I thought was really going to do something in this game. The commentator was saying how great a game Rooney was having, but he is in the team as a striker, the goal scorer and he looks like he is never going to score any goals. Look how he took that penality. He just kicked the ball as if he did not care whether it went in or not. If he is the main striker and he is yet to score goals or produce his form of last season, then we definately need to buy a quality striker in January in the mold of a Samuel Etto. Rooney is playing like a midfielder, like he is only there to set up goals. So who or where are the strikers? Bring in a quality midfield playmaker and a deadly striker. Tevez is available.
// Bring in a quality midfield playmaker and a deadly striker. Tevez is available. //
Words cannot express how ridiculous the rest of the world finds the things that you say or type. Just stop it.
herbie, do you actually care about anything except transfers in football?
Herbie simms: rooney is team player and you’re stupid.
Herbie – dont betray your ignorance of the game anymore, mate!
There were several occasions when Nani could have played a square ball to Rooney for a tap-in but Nani chose to have a go himself; Nani needs to improve his decision making under pressure and vary his play; as long as Rooney keeps getting in the right positions then sooner or later the goals will come!
I’d love to know what the doom merchants that are prevalent on here make of being top by two points with a game in hand in the context of the poor form/chaos our rivals are experiencing (bar Spurs). I suppose those who keep predicting the sky will fall in are sorted either way, whether United win or lose. I know it’s still early in the season and everything is not completely rosy (on and off the pitch), but some will have to accept that predictions of United’s decline and Chelsea’s superiority have been exaggerated.
Other than the back 4 and Ando, the individual performances were pretty average. But it was the collective will, competitiveness and character of the players that overcame Arsenal. I was disappointed that Berba was dropped, but we won so you can’t criticise Fergie. I still think we would have won if we’d played two forwards. It’s possible he may revert to 442 for Chelsea (but I won’t hold my breath) given that Chelsea looked far better playing 442 second half against Spurs and Ancelotti may stick with it.
Ando was terrific again, he’s really added some dynamism to United’s midfield in recent weeks, something that’s been lacking since Fletcher’s loss in form. Anyone see the Daniel Taylor piece? It stated that Porto actually received 30M Euros from United, which is far more than the £18M it’s generally believed we paid. No wonder Fergie has stuck by him, and to be fair he’s starting to repay that faith by “doing a Nani”.
For once I agree with Herbie… at least somewhat.
Rooney has so much more to his game than simply poaching goals… last night he didn’t see enough of he ball, as the service to him was generally poor… Nani selfishly rejected 2 golden opportunities to play him in… Rooney would have made that pass, and we’d likely have scored from it.
With Rooney up on his own, we don’t really have an out and out striker… a selfish cunt with a deadly strike rate … like Ruud.
I like Rooney up front if he has the right strike partner… but if you’re going to play with only one up front, then I’d prefer it be another player like Berbatov, who holds the ball up well, or Chico who plays for the through ball… and drop Rooney to the attacking middle where you get the most from his talents.
Last year Rooney scored a shit load of goals as the lone striker, but there was so much focus on getting him to play that role… right now, you’re seeing Rooney revert to type… he wants to float more, get more involved, and see more of the ball… he just doesn’t NATURALLY take to the lone striker role… Why force it on him?
Because he’ll score 34 goals, that’s why. I don’t think Utd had a prayer last year without that kind of strike rate, and I don’t think they do this year either. There simply are not enough goals in the rest of this team.
Funny because they’re top and Rooney has scored two goals all season – both from the penalty spot
Excuses for Rooney again eh? He blasted a penalty high over the bar Alfie!!! He was the central striker and has pace to burn so he should have stayed there like he did last season and scored many. Nani was selfish on two occassions but twice, he and fletcher played in fantastic balls that Rooney playing like last season would have been at the end of them.
He was ok. But that he was not better has nothing to do with anyone else.
thought rooney was very good yesterday like a fatter young paul scholes, proper advanced midfielder.
penno will be a classic on youtube – it was horrific
Alfonso said it right, Rooney seems to be playing more like a set up player, so who is the striker? Even SAF was a bit concerned with what he saw. To rectify this problem, SAF will have to play Rooney as a midfielder or just behind the strikers. Rooney had a good game if he was playing as a midfielder, but he was the lone striker and he did nothing as a striker. This is the team we would need to play in these positions, as I see it.
VAN de SAR
RAFAEL VIDIC FERDINAND EVRA
NANI FLETCHER ROONEY PARK
BERBATOV HERNANDEZ.
I can now understand why SAF is looking also to buy a world class striker, a proven goal scorer who can play up front alone and still score goals.
Another starting team would look like:
VAN de SAR
RAFAEL VIDIC FERDJNAND EVRA
NANI FLETCHER ANDERSON ROONEY
BERBATOV HERNANDEZ
Park will be out of the team for the whole month of January. Iam not knocking the team, just commenting on where I feel the team could be even better and get more clear cut results and don’t have to struggle to win games.
Am I missing something here, guys? I thought last night’s performance was outstanding, from 1-11, Anderson and Raphael in particular. We wasted a number of chances which was worrying, but the tempo of the match was immense…No other team would’ve been able to match that
rooneys fine, if his general play and touch was off you could be worried, it aint, the goals will come then he’ll take off and we’ll forget berbatov ever existed
all rooney criticism can be dismissed with a ‘hes wayne ffs’
hes wayne ffs
he’ll be fine
Yes, Rooney is fine, but if he is now playing a different role in the team, won’t you agree we now need first rate strikers? The team is in great position at the moment and Valencia will be back in the team very soon, but as I said before, SAF is looking at a class striker and a playmaker at the moment, so he must have realized that there is a weakness in these positions. If your strikers are not scoring goals, then there is a problem in the team. The strikers are the front men and their role in the team is to score goals, thats what they are being paid to do. Should not be depending on all the other players to score as they have other roles in the team.
Iam not blasting Rooney, but it looks like he has a new role in the team and if thats so, then who and where are the strikers?
rooneys best role is the same as it always was, off the striker, ive been telling you cocks that for four years ffs, and when weve got a midfield two enough to let him play there in the big games he’ll move back there, until then we leave the strikers as they are, albeit sell berbatov obviously
him at least playing off the striker against the riff raff is the best we can do for the time being, until weve got a top quality pair of bolllocksy midfielders who between themcan pass score tackle create and arent bollockless carrick, then he can play there all the time, off benzema
thought rooney was brilliant – penno aside
LKHF
Right, Rooney best role is off the striker, that makes him a second rate striker which goes back to my first point. We need a first rate striker also, an Etto, a Drogba, a Torres, a Messi etc. Rooney can continue to play the role he has now, he does a great job there. SAF has made the same points in reference to buying a first rate class striker. Iam not making a lot of bizarre commments, this has also come to light from Fergie. But I do agree that we need class midfielders more than anything else. Someone is mentioning Benzema, is he still a target for United? I just know of the 26 year old Brazilian striker from AC Milan and midfield playmaker Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetk.
Yet more Herbie Simms idiocy.
Rooney plays off the first striker, so he’s not first rate?
Wonder what King Eric would think of that comment.
*facepalm*
“This is no vintage United side but any Ferguson team has heart and tonight the home side showed it in spades.”
This sounds a bit confused: mixing up heart(s) and spades!
Nevertheless, looks like we are at last sorting out our midfield, yet perhaps in a way that allows some interesting permutations, none of which would be comfortably contained within a 4-4-2.
rooney in centre mid??? left mid?? wtf!? laughable.
rooney is best off a front man, always has been, always will be but in games like monday where you have to pack the midfield fergie has no choice but to play him as lone striker. either that or drop him and play berba which doesnt work. remember away to spurs last year?? down to 10 men, rooney up front on his own and was immense. this was vs Arsenal, title challengers. if we started with the teams mentioned above we would have lost. ‘these are the faktz’
Rooney’s hold up play was brilliant
This is laughable. Rooney is NOT a midfielder. And he was not a midfielder against Arsenal. He played as a fantastic front man, always available, running the channels, bringing people into play etc. Only thing missing was a goal, sure, but he was up there doing what he was asked to do. Which is why SAF didn’t take him off. He was doing a job.
It’s all honkey dory when we win isn’t it? A win over Le Arse and seeing Whingner fume across the touchline is always fun. We played well; we could’ve played better but let’s not be too demanding. We all know that this team has 1 big deficiency:the midfield. If we had a stronger midfield allowing us to play 4-4-2 at home, we would have humiliated Arsenal. As it turns out we have to compensate for lack of talent by numbers. Imagine,a Keane-Ince partnership and we could’ve played Berba and Rooney up front! Good old days.
This team still has serious lackings-pace and creativity in midfield. Did anyone notice how Carrick sytematically positions his body to pass the ball backwards each time he is to receive it? It’s as if his job is only to feed Ferdinand! He doesn’t even attempt a forward pass-that’s not United standard!
Good defensive display overall. Evra should know better than talking shit before a match but I can understand him. Im unfortunate enough to buy my football from French TV (Canal+) and hearing/seeing them creaming over Le Arse week in week out can really get to you!! It’s as if there’s only 1 team with French palyers…so Evra gets his own back whenever he can. But this seems to have effected his performance a bit. Rafael was awesome!
One word about Anderson. His performance over the last few weeks have been impressive but still short of expectation. I also noticed that news of his new contract has been welcomed by most United fans. However, I just can’t help feeling how fucking selfish footballers are. Isn’t it too much of a coincidence, my dear Watson, that Mr Anderson seems to have suddenly found form whilst his contract was being re-negotiated? For 3 years he’s been poor,awful,mediocre,pathetic,frustrating…I just hope he didn’t get a pay rise cause he doesn’t deserve it. He’s had too much of a free ride already; he should consider himself lucky to still be in the team. Let’s just hope he doesn’t revert to his old self once the multi-million contract is under the belt…
Bring on Chelski….
Fans on this website seem so excited that United beat Arsenal. I don’t know what game they were watching but I was not impressed with the performance at all. Yes, Iam happy with the result but until we sell off the players that are not of United standard and bring in a few players that are of world class quality, this team will eventually struggle to make the top 4. They have been fortunate to be still undefeated and on top of the table but how long will they be this fortunate? This is not the Manchester United of old. Its good Chelsea are struggling a bit now, but Lampard is back and you will see a different Chelsea. Berbatov now has been delegated to the subs bench and Hernandez just occupies the subs bench. Obertan, Macheda, Michael Owen, O’Shea and Evans are just a waste of time. Hope United do win the league so SAF can retire next summer cause he is out of touch with modern day football and its really time for him to go.
Please go back to your football manager game.
Cretin.
WUM