By Myles Palmer
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Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1
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Wiltord 56
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When I heard that Van Nistelrooy and Nicky Butt were not playing I got my bottle back.
I knew United would not score with Forlan up front, so the game had a good chance of being a 0-0.
And it would have been the greatest 0-0 in Arsenal’s history.
But the second half performance was sensational. Character, calmness, pace, flair, determination, all the qualities of champions were there in abaundance
The Cardiff heroes, Parlour and Ljungberg,created the goal.
Parlour took the ball off Sylvestre, slipped it to Wiltord, who played a nice pass into Ljungberg’s diagonal run from the right.
FREDDIE beat Blanc and shot before Wes Brown could block.
Barthez saved low down, the rebound broke for Wiltord and he hit a solid sidefoot past Barthez.
I thought he would miss on his left foot…. but he scored !
Sylvain Wiltord hit it sweetly and firmly and low and it went in and made history : 1-0 to the Arsenal !
HISTORY !
HISTORY !!
HISTORY !!!!
Wiltord scored from almost the same spot at Old Trafford that Overmars scored in 1998.
And he scored 31 years to the day after Charlie George clinched the double against Liverpool at Wembley on May 8th 1971 !
WHAT A MOMENT !
Two years into the millennium and it might be another thousand years before Arsenal win the title at Old Trafford.
FIRST HALF HOUR WAS BRUTAL – but Arsenal kept their cool,kept their heads, despite the intimidation.
After 20 minutes, a typically late two-footed lunge hy Scholes into Edu.Yellow card !
Scholes won’t last 20 minutes in the World Cup.That will be a red card in Japan, I’m sure.
After 22, a vicious, scything foul by Phil Neville on Wiltord. What a mean, mean little man you are, Mr Neville.
Abject cowardice by Paul Durkin for not sending Neville off.Only a yellow.
None of Arsenal’s red cards this season, none of the 40something reds under Wenger, has been for a foul as malicious as these two assualts.
After 26, Roy Keane comes sailing in with his boot chest high on Vieira,misses his body but smacks an elbow into his face.
Classic karate, as practiced by Bryan Robson and Norman Whiteside.
By now Gooner daughter Caroline, 16, is utterly disgusted.
She says, “I’d be ashamed if Arsenal ever put in a performance like this. It’s just so despicable!”.
After 28, Scholes hacks Vieira again, less obviously.
By now the whole the UK, or 99% of neutrals, will want Arsenal to score. It’s just psychotic aggression, nothing to do with football.
Edu makes a late tackle on Solskjaer. A clear foul but not as bad as those just mentioned.
Kanu is losing the ball again and again and again. If United had been trying to play football they could have profited from that squandered possession.
Edu gets a yelow for a bodycheck, fair enough. Keane has a shot straight as Seaman. Solskjaer fouls Vieira.
It’s 0-0 at half-time.
After 52 minutes, Martin Tyler says,”There have been no 0-0 draws here for three and a half years.”
After 53, Barthez miskicks the ball straight to Wiltord, who cannot control it.
Wish I had £50 for every time I’ve heard a Gooner say, “He couldn’t trap a bag of cement.”
BUT THIS CAN STILL BE 0-0, THE BIGGEST 0-0 DRAW IN ARSENAL HISTORY.
Then Sylvestre goes up the left, hesitates, loses the ball to Parlour, who passes short to Wiltord, who finds the diagonal run of Ljungberg.
Beats Blanc in the box, shoots,Barthez saves, rebound to Wiltord – BANG!!!!!!!!!
The double-winning goal.
Ruud Van Nistelrooy is on as a sub now and he dives, infuriating Keown and Campbell.
He pushes Keown in the chest as they go for the ball, then collapses, looking for a penalty. Pathetic.
Freddie is scissored down by Blanc, yellow card.
Freddie races into the box surrounde by three red shirts and treads on the ball and trips over- sheer fatigue.
He’d had three days to recover from the FA Cup Final while United had eight days to recover from Leverkusen.
Freddie is punched in the groin by Van Nistelrooy. Thanks Ruud, see you next season !
Final whistle!
TWELVE – count them!- 12 STRAIGHT PREMIERSHIP WINS !
The best team in England has won the double in a World Cup year. Again !
Son Michael phones from a student pub in Sheffield. He’s manic.
I’ve never heard Michael like this. He is normally so laidback.
Two Man U fans have bought him two pints, so he’s happy.It’s a good, friendly atmosphere in the boozer.
He is with Ajay. They’ve been there since 6 pm to get seats right in front of the big screen.Jan talks to him for a while, then Caroline.
After that Jan says, “I think they might come down on Sunday for the celebrations in Islington.”
It’s half past midnight and I’m half past exhausted and can’t think straight enough to write anything sensible, let alone anything original.
G’nite, Gooners!
9th May 2002.