Finally, for Moyes, he has his big win as United boss. The sight of
Sir Alex Ferguson in the directors’ box, whistling for the referee to
end the game, told its own story. Wenger’s side turned the screw in the
last 25 minutes chasing the lead given to United by Robin Van Persie and
it could have been different if the Arsenal manager had a better second
striker to throw on than Nicklas Bendtner. But he doesn’t.
It was
Bendtner who failed to connect with a cross from fellow substitute
Serge Gnabry in the final minutes and before that Olivier Giroud had
worked hard throughout but could not quite convert the pressure his side
enjoyed into a goal. It feels like a long time since the days when it
was suggested that Arsenal bid for a disaffected Wayne Rooney – and it
turned out that the Englishman was the key difference between the two
teams.
Van Persie produced the moment that won the game, but it
was Rooney’s hard work and ingenuity all over the pitch that was the
biggest single influence on the afternoon. He is playing and competing
for Moyes, there can be no doubt about that. So too, the impressive Phil
Jones who moved from midfield to defence at half-time to cover for the
injured Nemanja Vidic and was well-assisted by a fine performance from
Chris Smalling.
Robin van Persie rises to meet Wayne Rooney's corner
As for Arsenal, there were excuses they could have made, but
Wenger chose not to. He lost Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky to an
illness among the group which may have affected others but Wenger said
that if they declared themselves fit they should be considered so -
dreaded virus or not. The Arsenal manager was relatively hard on his
players blaming them for being “nervous” in the first half. “Maybe it
was the fact we haven’t won here for a long time.”
Certainly, the
fact that they pushed United to the very end was an improvement on more
recent capitulations in this stadium. They remain top of the league by
two points from second-placed Liverpool on a weekend when Arsenal,
Chelsea, Everton, Tottenham and Manchester City, more than half the
current top eight, dropped points. Remarkably only six points separate
that top eight.
As for United, it was not a breathtaking
performance but they were good value for their victory. Rooney worked
Arsenal hard all over the pitch and he should have had a penalty in the
first half when Giroud, of all people, knocked him over in the area. In
front of the defence, Jones was excellent, sliding in to block a shot
from Santi Cazorla after the half hour.
As for the big
game-changers in Arsenal shirts – Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey, Cazorla –
there was too little from all of them. And Wenger’s team were undone in
the fashion they feared most: a moment of brilliance from Van Persie.
Rooney
won the corner and it was Rooney who struck it towards the near post
where Van Persie pulled away from Ramsey and out-jumped Giroud to head
it behind him and across goal past Wojciech Szczesny. Having been goaded
liberally by the Arsenal fans, he waited until his celebrating
team-mates had cleared to turn to the home fans, with fists clenched, to
roar one more time – and sod all that respecting your former club
nonsense.
Van Persie never gained such a good sight of goal again
and signalled to the bench in the last ten minutes whereupon he was
replaced by Marouane Fellaini for the final battle. Later Moyes heaped
praise on his Dutch striker “and his sidekick”, Rooney. He praised
Rooney’s energy and of Van Persie said that “great players score great
goals – and he’s a great player.”
Szczesny looked like he night
add another chapter to the concussion debate when he and Jones, both
leading with their heads, collided on 40 minutes. Mystifyingly, it was
Jones who was booked by referee Michael Oliver, although on what basis
it was not clear. Certainly there was nothing reckless about his
challenge for the ball, unlike Giroud’s crafty stamp on Jonny Evans’
right foot in the first three minutes.
Vidic was injured in a
collision with David De Gea in first half injury-time that Moyes said,
having watched again, was “horrific”. The United captain walked off the
pitch spitting blood and was taken to hospital although is not thought
to be seriously hurt. It was notable that in the shuffle around that
took Jones back into the centre of defence in Vidic’s place it was Tom
Cleverley rather than Fellaini who came on for the United captain.
David Moyes greets goalscorer Robin van Persie at the end.
There was no reduction in the intensity the performance from
Jones who showed the raw competition to win headers from crosses as well
as composure on the ball. The pressure on United grew noticeably after
the hour when Jack Wilshere replaced Flamini and Arsenal stepped up
their level.
From then, much of what United did was, by necessity
reactive to an energised Arsenal side who pressured them in particular
from the wide positions. Bendtner joined Giroud in the attack, and later
Gnabry was introduced too as Wenger’s players threatened to overwhelm
the home side.
With hindsight, the definitive tackle of the game
came in the 84th minute when Giroud made space for himself in the area
to shoot and Smalling excelled himself to nick the ball away at the
crucial moment. There was no margin for error. In injury-time Bendtner
failed to connect with Gnabry’s ball across goal.
At the end of
the game, Wenger was affronted with referee Michael Oliver’s decisions –
although which of them it was not clear. He would not clarify. “I need
to buy Christmas presents and these statements cost too much money,” he
said. It is nice to see that he has not lost his sense of humour and, in
a title race that promises so many twists, he will need to maintain it.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1):
De Gea; Smalling, Evans, Vidic (Cleverley ht), Evra; Carrick, Jones;
Valencia, Rooney, Kagawa (Giggs, 78); Van Persie (Fellaini, 85).
Substitutes not used: Lindegaard (gk), Hernandez, Nani, Januzaj.
Arsenal (4-2-3-1):
Szczesny; Sagna, Kosciely, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta (Gnabry, 83),
Flamini (Wilshere, 61); Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla (Bendtner, 78); Giroud.
Substitutes not used: Monreal, Fabianski (gk), Jenkinson, Hayden.
Referee: M Oliver
Match rating: 7
Attendance: 75,138
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