United On Fire

Arsenal 2 (Fabregas 48, Gallas 90) Man Utd 2 (Gallas 45 og, Ronaldo 82)

After a slow first half, this game burst into life on the stroke of half time and continued until the very last minute. An entertaining match that Arsenal were very relieved to get a point from.

In fact, at the end of the game they acted as if they won a decisive match that would hand them the title rather than that they had rescued a point from a home game that they had won the previous season. The fact that it was a last minute goal should not distract United from the fact that they had played well, contained a stylish and clever Arsenal side and put down a marker for the rest of the season proving that we will not be relinquishing our title just like that.

The first half was a cagey affair with United able to hold Arsenal at arms length whilst the Gunnars made pretty patterns with the ball to not much effect. In fact, it was United who had the better chances with a ball bouncing off Giggs a couple of yards from goal when he should have scored. Hargreaves and Anderson bossed the midfield despite Ronaldo and Giggs being largely absent.

The major problem in the first half for United was the attitude of Anderson. When he wasn’t writhing around in agony only to get up sharply, he was trying to get others booked. He played very well all game, but he has to cut that out.

If anyone was nodding off shortly before half time, they would have been woken up sharply as Brown carved out a cross for Rooney who exploded into the box and clipped the ball goal ward. It cannoned off Gallas’es arm and beat Almunia. The dubious goals panel will give it as a Gallas own goal, but Rooney should be given credit for making the run and getting to the ball first.

It made Arsenal come out in the 2nd half and fight and they quickly got an equaliser. Sagna got the ball when he had not right to and pulled the ball back from the byline after Van der Sar had made a good save. The ball fell to Fabregas who coolly placed the ball into the corner of the net.

For a spell it was all Arsenal and United took time to first get back into the game and then slowly take charge. Anderson and Tevez were replaced by Carrick and Saha and it was the fragile Frenchman who was pivotal in the 2nd United goal. As Saha held the ball up, Evra lost the Arsenal sub, Walcott and Saha played a fantastic reverse pass into Erva to put him in on goal. Almunia had little choice but to come out as as he did so, Evra played the ball sideways for the onrushing Ronaldo to score.

I thought it was going to be our day as first Evra sliced the ball just over his own bar and the Eduardo sliced the ball wide from 10 yards with minutes to go. But Arsenal came back well and there was pinball in the United 6-yard box. It took a replay for me to work out what had happened but Gallas had put the ball over the line before Van der Sar had saved it.

Arsenal had rescued a point, and as the final whilst went both their players and fans were jubilant. But really it is United that should be happier with the point. Back in September, visiting Arsenal was a real worry with the form we were showing. Now we come away thinking we should have won.

With both teams still equal on points, Arsenal have the advantage of the game in hand, but it will really be a question of who can maintain their form over the whole season.

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Posted on November 3rd, 2007 under Manchester United, Premiership, Reviews • RSS 2.0 feed • Leave a response, or trackback