By Myles Palmer
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Man United 2 Arsenal 0
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Veron 21, Scholes 72
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ARSENAL are still top and still three points ahead of the Red Devils, who were far too fiery for the Mr Wenger’s champions today.
NO COMPLAINTS!
Arsenal were second best all day.
United’s movement and appetite were impressive, even if both goals were a bit soft.
Silvestre was retained at centreback alongside Wes Brown, with John O’Shea doing well at left back.
Gary Neville made another colossal blunder in 12 minutes, stepping out to play Henry offside.
Clean through, clearly onside, Henry hit a powderpuff sidefoot shot that Barthez saved comfortably.
A ghastly, feeble effort.
He could have taken another touch and he could have taken it much closer before slotting it past the legs of his old Monaco pal.
But Henry panicked and hit his shot far too soon and not hard enough.He telegraphed his weak shot.
After 19, Henry played a one-two with Pires who had a terrific lob tipped over, although no corner was given.
If that lob had gone in it was 1-0 and a different game.
You could sense United first goal coming as Arsenal were hustled into giving away ball after ball.
In the crucial sequence Wiltord lost it twice.
He was tackled by Veron on the halfway line, Cygan passed to Solskjaer, whose header was blatantly handled by van Nistelrooy (just in front of the ref,who gave nothing)and he found Scholes just onside on the right.
His low cross was knocked in by Veron from three yards.
VERON had the most energetic,creative game he has ever played against Arsenal, inlcuding those two for Lazio.
So Arsenal were OK for 12 minutes and after that they were always second best, always playing in front of the United defence, and Barthez had nothing to do.
Seeing Wiltord at right back on 39, making a good block on Ryan Giggs, was the writing on the wall.Writing 30 feet high in neon letters
Phil Nevile,having kicked Pires, now kicked Gilberto. Nasty Phil in this mood is the new Nobby Stiles.
He wasn’t booked and a similar slightly late tackle by Vieira didn’t earn a yellow card either.
Just before halftime Henry got the ball with seven red shirts between him and Barthez, an impossible situation.
Last week Cygan took some goalkicks against Villa, so Shaaban’s thigh must have been troubling him even then.
Here he pulled something taking a goalkick on 41, so Stuart Taylor came on to replace him.
Half-time, I thought it was over.
Veron took a cute free-kick quickly, sending Giggs in on Taylor but he stood up well and saved.
But Arsenal had some pressure and it was Pires who was taking corners on the left and right-not Henry.
Gilberto made a long sprint into the box, but fired well wide, a half-chance.
After 68. BERGKAMP came on for Wiltord, Arsenal seemed have some shape at last, Vieira had a rocket shot over the bar.
Surprisingly, Arsenal were 11-6 ahead on goal attempts but Barthez had only been tested once.
Cole threw the ball infield, Pires lost it,Van Nistelrooy beat Cygan too easily and Scholes took one touch past Keown and hit his shot, I thought, across Taylor.
But Keown recovered and tried to block and the ball flew in off his shin by the near post giving Taylor no chance.But for that deflection, Taylor might have saved it.
Vieira got a yellow card for a foul on RVN,Toure came on for Pires, Phil Neville was booked for a foul on Cole, Luzhny for a foul on Giggs.
Overall, United defended very well and cut out every pass into the box.
And every one of Arsenal’s crosses went to a red shirt.They had, as usual,zero presence in the air.
All in all,a bad day at the office.
United were much more up for it than I thought.
This game meant a helluva lot more to them than Deportivo next Wednesday night.
For United to win so comprehensively without Becks,Rio and Roy was surprising.
VALENCIA are another busy,organised side who defend well.
But Tuesday is another day.
Everyone expected Arsene to start Bergkamp today, not Pires.
He obviously wants to give Pires match time to sharpen him up, but it didn’t work out.
With Henry, Wiltord and Ljungberg in the same attack the team has a potential for awkwardness, for imbalance.
That imbalance is disguised when Bergkamp plays, and especially when Bergkamp plays at home.
Without DB10, the passing and moving often stutters as it did against hard-working opponents today.
Freddie,bless him, was never near scoring.The best two things he did were chasing back to pinch two balls from Veron and somebody else
DERMOT GALLAGHER is the best ref in England and handled the game very sensibly, even though he missed one fingertip save and a handball.
VALENCIA, Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea – an interesting and challenging fixture list for the boys.
Arsenal can play a lot better than this, we know.
What’s the oldest cliche in football?
You can only play as well as you are allowed to play.
United didn’t allow Arsenal to play today.It wasn’t even close.
Fergie’s team deserved to win and 2-0 did not flatter them.
If the Gunners do not play well,Cygan looks like a £2m centreback, as he did today.
But with Sol back to partner Keown,they can beat Valencia, Spurs and Liverpool, who lost 2-0 at Fulham today.
CHELSEA are now second after winning 3-1 at Everton.
That will be a rough,tough game at Highbury on January 1st !
7th December 2002