United toil to win as Wenger’s blood boils

Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1

NOT many United fans will feel sorry for Arsene Wenger. After all, the Arsenal boss has hardly endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful, who have long referred to him as Arsene Whinger.

But on this occasion, the Frenchman had every right to look bitter and frustrated as he witnessed his team suffer an all-too-familiar defeat at the Theatre Of Dreams.

Quite simply, the Gunners played United off the park for long periods of the first big showdown of the Premier League season.

It was skilful, precision passing against a Reds team high on endeavour, but low on finesse and penetration.

United’s defence, shorn of the injured Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans, looked shaky at times, while a five-man midfield was a clear indicator of Ferguson’s concern about the Gunners’ slick passing and potent threat up front.

Wayne Rooney was deployed as a lone striker — a role which saw him starved of possession and support — and despite their numerical strength in midfield, United were unable to create clear chances.

Darren Fletcher was industrious without being particularly incisive, but Ryan Giggs seemed to be off the pace in his advanced midfield role, wide men Nani and £18million signing Antonio Valencia were totally ineffective and Michael Carrick was almost anonymous.

In a first half dominated by the blue-shirted Gunners, a 1-0 deficit was just about the best United could have hoped for such was their rivals’ superiority.

Their goal — barely a minute after a stonewall penalty committed against him by Fletcher was turned down by referee Mike Dean — was scored by the dangerous Andrey Arshavin.

With a sense of injustice still burning inside him, Arshavin unleashed a fierce shot from 25 yards which Ben Foster could only help on its way into the back of the net.

Foster could have done better, but his save to deny Robin van Persie from point-blank range early in the second half kept the Reds in the hunt. Indeed, it was a pivotal point during a match in which, until that stage, United had struggled to secure any kind of foothold.

They closed down Arsenal with more purpose after the break, but the flowing football of last season was missing and it took two Arsenal howlers to gift them the points.

First, goalkeeper Manuel Almunia needlessly raced off his line to try to avert danger as Wayne Rooney chased a through ball heading for the by-line.

Referee Dean correctly ruled the striker’s legs had been taken from beneath him and Rooney, who had missed his previous three penalty kicks, gleefully accepted Almunia’s gift by sending the ’keeper the wrong way.

Worse was to follow for Arsenal when Abou Diaby headed a Ryan Giggs free-kick past Almunia. Under no pressure, Diaby could hardly have directed his attempted clearance any better from a United perspective.

The final insult for Wenger came in stoppage time when van Persie’s low shot past Foster prompted wild celebrations from the Arsenal boss. Within seconds, the realisation that the goal had been cancelled out for offside against William Gallas prompted Wenger to kick a water bottle in disgust.

He was sent off, though no-one seemed sure where he should go, a quite ridiculous over-reaction as the crime was negligible.