Manchester United [0 - 0] Arsenal
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Saturday, May 16, 2009
Manchester Vs. Arsenal Match Report
United are once again champions of England and inevitably, it was achieved the hard way, with a nail-biting goalless draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
A tense, nerve-wracking afternoon saw few chances at either at end, as a largely dour match dragged agonisingly to its conclusion. Hearts were in mouths for United fans throughout the afternoon, and never more than when Cesc Fabregas struck the post with six minutes remaining.
Victories over Manchester City and Wigan had the champions six points clear of second-placed Liverpool going into the match, meaning a point would secure a record-equalling 18th league title. Mindful of the dangers of playing for a draw, the Reds were quick out of the traps.
Barely 15 seconds had passed before Cristiano Ronaldo got the better of Kieran Gibbs, exposing the space behind the young full-back to race onto Darren Fletcher’s through-ball. The Portuguese declined to continue his sprint, however, and his cross was cleared before it could reach Ryan Giggs.
That early opening heralded a sustained spell of United pressure, which only served to heighten the expectant buzz which had hummed around Old Trafford long before kick-off.
However, Arsenal, still reeling from their Champions League exit at the hands of United, and the subsequent scrutiny of their silverware drought of recent years, were not at Old Trafford to simply roll over for the champions-elect.
Robin van Persie headed wastefully over from Andrey Arshavin’s pinpoint right-wing cross, despite having no United defenders in his immediate vicinity, while it took a last ditch challenge from Jonny Evans to halt an Arshavin run which had bypassed three of the Reds’ backline.
Slowly, United began to find gaps in the Gunners’ midfield and defence, and Wayne Rooney was agonisingly close to opening the scoring after 17 minutes, as he glanced Michael Carrick’s measured back-post cross narrowly past the upright.
From there, chances were few and far between for either side. United found Arsenal’s reshuffled backline hard to penetrate, while the visitors struggled to find the killer ball to crown their impressive approach play.
Giggs drilled over the bar from a difficult angle, but the half ended on a nervous note for United as Samir Nasri lashed a half-cleared corner goalwards. The Frenchman’s effort was heading off target, but could have deviated anywhere as it hit the unmarked van Persie. Fortunately for the Reds, the loose ball fell kindly and Nemanja Vidic was able to clear.
At the break, United had the required point to seal the title. However, the growing air of nervousness inside Old Trafford suggested a foreboding that Arsenal, with no great motivation of their own, could still gatecrash the party.
The Gunners were clearly in the mood to do so. The second half was barely underway when Cesc Fabregas was booked for following through on Evra. Moments later van Persie, already booked for hacking Ronaldo down, also caught the Frenchman. Referee Mike Dean lectured the Dutchman on his behaviour, before promptly booking Nasri for a cynical trip, again on the battered and bruised Evra.
As if to add a more dramatic backdrop to the now simmering atmosphere, proceedings were subjected to a brief, but torrential downpour which the the turf further zip. Both sides continued to pop passes around, regardless of the saturated conditions, and United's first clear chance of the game was quickly forthcoming.
Giggs' cross from the right wing found Tevez, who rolled Kolo Toure but was quickly pressurised by goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The Argentine was unable to fire shot off, and Ronaldo blazed the rebound high into the Stretford End.
Arsenal were still retaining possession with more authority than their hosts, and Sir Alex Ferguson responded by throwing Ji-sung Park into the fray, at the expense of Tevez. The Korean soon had the ball in the Arsenal net, bursting through and swapping passes with Ronaldo before tapping in, only for the goal to be ruled offside. To the naked eye it was comfortably the right decision, only for television replays to reveal that Ronaldo had been played onside by Bacary Sagna.
A goal would have lifted all the growing tension on and around the field, but instead it was allowed to fester as United dropped deep, looking to counter as Arsenal pressed for a heartbreaking winner.
It meant the game was increasingly being watched between parted fingers for plenty of United fans, although hands were briefly transferred to heads when Ronaldo, felled after a lightning breakaway, drilled a free-kick fractionally past Fabianski's top left-hand corner.
Arsenal came even closer with six minutes remaining. Another fine build-up culminated in the ball reaching Fabregas, and the Spaniard's shot took the merest of flicks from Edwin van der Sar's fingertips before rattling against the outside of the post.
United were, by now, simply running down the clock. There was just about time for one last scare as Rooney was ruled to have fouled Sagna on the edge of the area, only for van Persie's free-kick to flick wide of the far post.
The final whistle prompted delirium among the fans who could finally exhale. Once again, success had been reached. Once again, United had straddled a knife-edge all the way there.
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A tense, nerve-wracking afternoon saw few chances at either at end, as a largely dour match dragged agonisingly to its conclusion. Hearts were in mouths for United fans throughout the afternoon, and never more than when Cesc Fabregas struck the post with six minutes remaining.
Victories over Manchester City and Wigan had the champions six points clear of second-placed Liverpool going into the match, meaning a point would secure a record-equalling 18th league title. Mindful of the dangers of playing for a draw, the Reds were quick out of the traps.
Barely 15 seconds had passed before Cristiano Ronaldo got the better of Kieran Gibbs, exposing the space behind the young full-back to race onto Darren Fletcher’s through-ball. The Portuguese declined to continue his sprint, however, and his cross was cleared before it could reach Ryan Giggs.
That early opening heralded a sustained spell of United pressure, which only served to heighten the expectant buzz which had hummed around Old Trafford long before kick-off.
However, Arsenal, still reeling from their Champions League exit at the hands of United, and the subsequent scrutiny of their silverware drought of recent years, were not at Old Trafford to simply roll over for the champions-elect.
Robin van Persie headed wastefully over from Andrey Arshavin’s pinpoint right-wing cross, despite having no United defenders in his immediate vicinity, while it took a last ditch challenge from Jonny Evans to halt an Arshavin run which had bypassed three of the Reds’ backline.
Slowly, United began to find gaps in the Gunners’ midfield and defence, and Wayne Rooney was agonisingly close to opening the scoring after 17 minutes, as he glanced Michael Carrick’s measured back-post cross narrowly past the upright.
From there, chances were few and far between for either side. United found Arsenal’s reshuffled backline hard to penetrate, while the visitors struggled to find the killer ball to crown their impressive approach play.
Giggs drilled over the bar from a difficult angle, but the half ended on a nervous note for United as Samir Nasri lashed a half-cleared corner goalwards. The Frenchman’s effort was heading off target, but could have deviated anywhere as it hit the unmarked van Persie. Fortunately for the Reds, the loose ball fell kindly and Nemanja Vidic was able to clear.
At the break, United had the required point to seal the title. However, the growing air of nervousness inside Old Trafford suggested a foreboding that Arsenal, with no great motivation of their own, could still gatecrash the party.
The Gunners were clearly in the mood to do so. The second half was barely underway when Cesc Fabregas was booked for following through on Evra. Moments later van Persie, already booked for hacking Ronaldo down, also caught the Frenchman. Referee Mike Dean lectured the Dutchman on his behaviour, before promptly booking Nasri for a cynical trip, again on the battered and bruised Evra.
As if to add a more dramatic backdrop to the now simmering atmosphere, proceedings were subjected to a brief, but torrential downpour which the the turf further zip. Both sides continued to pop passes around, regardless of the saturated conditions, and United's first clear chance of the game was quickly forthcoming.
Giggs' cross from the right wing found Tevez, who rolled Kolo Toure but was quickly pressurised by goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. The Argentine was unable to fire shot off, and Ronaldo blazed the rebound high into the Stretford End.
Arsenal were still retaining possession with more authority than their hosts, and Sir Alex Ferguson responded by throwing Ji-sung Park into the fray, at the expense of Tevez. The Korean soon had the ball in the Arsenal net, bursting through and swapping passes with Ronaldo before tapping in, only for the goal to be ruled offside. To the naked eye it was comfortably the right decision, only for television replays to reveal that Ronaldo had been played onside by Bacary Sagna.
A goal would have lifted all the growing tension on and around the field, but instead it was allowed to fester as United dropped deep, looking to counter as Arsenal pressed for a heartbreaking winner.
It meant the game was increasingly being watched between parted fingers for plenty of United fans, although hands were briefly transferred to heads when Ronaldo, felled after a lightning breakaway, drilled a free-kick fractionally past Fabianski's top left-hand corner.
Arsenal came even closer with six minutes remaining. Another fine build-up culminated in the ball reaching Fabregas, and the Spaniard's shot took the merest of flicks from Edwin van der Sar's fingertips before rattling against the outside of the post.
United were, by now, simply running down the clock. There was just about time for one last scare as Rooney was ruled to have fouled Sagna on the edge of the area, only for van Persie's free-kick to flick wide of the far post.
The final whistle prompted delirium among the fans who could finally exhale. Once again, success had been reached. Once again, United had straddled a knife-edge all the way there.
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Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wigan Athletic [Vs. Manchester United Match Report
United moved to the brink of the Barclays Premier League title with a pulsating second-half performance and two wonderful goals at Wigan.
Man of the moment Carlos Tevez came off the bench to equalise before midfield maestro Michael Carrick sealed a superb away win for the champions with five minutes remaining. This rally put Steve Bruce’s plucky Wigan side to the sword and no doubt destroyed the morale of a certain club on Merseyside, who’d no doubt been buoyed by Hugo Rodallega’s shock opener for the home team.
Sir Alex made five changes to his derby-winning side, the return of John O’Shea, Anderson, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney suggesting this eleven was picked with the Reds’ next midweek fixure in mind, the Champions League final.
United were given an early fright when Antonio Valencia’s searing pace enabled him to break between Jonny Evans and Nemanja Vidic close to the halfway line and carry the ball menacingly into the box. Fortunately, the Reds’ senior centre-back made a sufficiently quick recovery to put the Ecuadorian off his stride, Valencia chipping his shot off target from six yards instead of beating Edwin van der Sar.
The Reds crafted two better opportunities to take the lead in quick succession around the 10th minute, with Dimitar Berbatov involved in both. First the Bulgarian laid on a peach of a right-wing cross that Rooney, so often the scourge of Wigan, unfortunately headed wide. Then Berbatov fed Cristiano Ronaldo and his low centre, again from the right, was steered agonisingly over the top left corner by Michael Carrick.
Charles N’Zogbia succeeded where Valencia had failed by forcing a fine save from Van der Sar; the Dutchman diving to his right to flick away the former Newcastle midfielder’s curling free-kick. Van der Sar’s next stop was more straightforward, gathering a low shot into his midriff after Evans misjudged a header and Wigan’s lone striker Hugo Rodallega made a Valencia-style surge forward.
The Colombian wasn’t to be denied with his next effort, however; after leaping with Vidic to contest a long pass forward, he reacted quickest as the ball dropped and lashed a close-range shot past van der Sar to give Wigan a shock lead. Vidic was incensed – he felt Rodallega had unfairly impeded him in their duel and TV replays supported this claim. Match referee Rob Styles, however, had no such view and a few minutes later he summoned van der Sar, as captain, and Vidic for a lecture on dissent.
Styles remained a central figure as Wigan’s muscular approach rattled a few men in red shirts but no serious punishment was delivered, either from the referee’s pocket or from the right boot of Ronaldo in a dead-ball situation. If Lee Cattermole upset Michael Carrick with a rash challenge, he almost embossed his villain status with an accurate shot that was well held by van der Sar, then a back-heel which helped to tee up Rodallega for an effort that only just skidded wide in first-half injury time. There was still time for United to attempt an equaliser but when Vidic’s deflected shot flew over the bar and the whistle blew, his grimace was apt for a first half of frustration.
Neither manager made a personnel change at the break, instead sending out the same players to grapple on the greasy surface, at least for the next ten minutes. One muscular tussle in this spell drew cries of ‘penalty’ from the vocal away support, only for Styles to rightly permit Paul Scharner’s perfectly executed tackle on Rooney.
The next piece of precision in Wigan’s box brought United onto level terms – courtesy of ‘impact substitute’ Carlos Tevez just minutes after replacing Anderson. The Argentine’s introduction instantly put the Latics on red alert but they were left red-faced when, with his back to the target, Carlos diverted Carrick’s shot home with a sublime flick. It was his fifth league goal of the season and undoubtedly his finest, not to mention the most important bar his Boxing Day winner at Stoke City.
The Reds had a more legitimate shout for a penalty when Ronaldo, at full tilt, tumbled after a collision with Latics’ left-back Maynor Figueroa but referee Styles rejected the appeals of the aghast Portuguese.
Sir Alex swopped his veterans as the game entered its nail-biting final phase, taking off Scholes and sending on Giggs, a decisive scorer in last season’s glorious corresponding fixture.
United’s sumptuous second-half football deserved a second goal and it fittingly came from one of many sweeping team moves. The ball flowed from Vidic to Ronaldo and on to O’Shea, and when the Irishman cut back to the edge of the area, Carrick stepped up to fire a stunning left-foot shot into the top left-hand corner.
Ecstatic Reds rushed from every position to celebrate the goal; another positive result in a few days’ time and those same players will be celebrating the ultimate triumph.
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Wigan Athletic Vs. Manchester United Highlights Video Clip
Wigan Athletic [1 - 2] Manchester United
28' [1 - 0] H.R. Martinez
61' [1 - 1] C.A. Tevez
86' [1 - 2] M. Carrick
1-0 H.Rodallega 28'
1-1 C.Tevez 61'
1-2 M.Carrick 86'
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28' [1 - 0] H.R. Martinez
61' [1 - 1] C.A. Tevez
86' [1 - 2] M. Carrick
1-0 H.Rodallega 28'
1-1 C.Tevez 61'
1-2 M.Carrick 86'
Read more...
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