Arsenal 2, Manchester United 1

It was the time of the year again, that the old titans of the English Premier League clashed. Though somehow I think yesterday’s Liverpool v Chelsea match was talked about more.
Arsenal had already beaten Man United this season at Old Trafford. Both sides were in good form. The jury was out on the final score.
It was a classic match, though it certainly didn’t start like one. Play was choppy and tempers were provoked. Emmanuel Eboue was annoying but Wayne Rooney managed to control his temper. Cristiano Ronaldo was spirited but less influential than in other recent games. Play kept on getting halted as the referee blew the whistle at every foul. However, he did not award a penalty to Arsenal when Thierry Henry was felled inside the box. Overall, it looked like it was going to be a draw.
Finally when Wayne Rooney scored after half-time with an excellent header, I thought it would be impossible for Arsenal to win the game. It was Jens Lehmann who seemed to be making more saves, not Edwin van der Sar. I felt Alexander Hleb was giving the ball away too often, and Tomas Rosicky frequently tried to score but kept going wide. I wished both of them had been substituted, and earlier on. But eventually the Gunners picked up the pace and took control of the possession.
Finally, Robin van Persie, whom I thought might not be playing as he wasn’t fully recovered from his injury yet, came in as a substitute and he made all the difference. He sped towards the goal and gave a powerful upwards kick that sent the ball flying in a difficult angle, which van der Sar could not reach in time.
Man United looked disillusioned at that stage. They probably thought they had the game wrapped up, 1-0, tit for tat, even stevens with Arsenal. The biggest problem with Man United is not their lack of skill – far from it – but their complacency when they think they’re already winners. A rejuvenated Arsenal pressed forward and in a manner reminiscent of their previous clash, scored a late winner with a surprising header from Thierry Henry.
At this point, Henry and Adebayor did their little reggae-like dance just off the pitch. I think it looks more graceful than Peter Crouch’s imitation of a robot. Whatever the case. They scored. Against Man United. Narrowed the gap. Woohoo!
This is good for the Premier League, and good for the fans. It would be so boring otherwise.
Man of the match: Thierry Henry. He’s being interviewed now as I type. He said he could’ve done better with his first header attempt – but hey we forgive him because he didn’t screw up the next one.
Manager Arsene Wenger’s the next to be interviewed. He mentions the team’s quality and resilience which helped them come from behind and win the match. I agree – the young Gunners looked a bit overwhelmed at first but fought back. It’s not easy to come back from a goal down especially against Man United. The young Gunners look very promising.
Technorati Tags: Arsenal, Manchester United, EPL