Arsenal fell under a curse from the Red Devils on Saturday evening after an enthralling performance by the hosts. A comprehensive 4-0 thumping at the hands of their fiercest rivals was enough to deter Arsenal spirits ahead of an equally crucial encounter against continental giants AC Milan later in the week.
What has been described as a ‘virtuoso’ performance by England wonder-kid Wayne Rooney proved to be a little too elusive for the gunners as the comeback-kid wreaked havoc in the visitor’s shaky defense. It was a sixteenth minute corner from the tunnel-end of Old Trafford that sparked everything. A well-positioned Rooney reacted quickest to a lose ball in the penalty area; and his header was too well-place for a hapless Jens Lehmann, even with two men on either post.
Perhaps the difference of the game was United’s new-found Portuguese inspiration Nani, who, without his fellow countryman Christiano Ronaldo, was given license to kill in midfield. And kill he did. A perfect ball on the 20th minute mark fell kindly for Scotland’s Darren Fletcher to further drop the jaws of the United fans, who were, at this point, quite literally in ‘dreamland’. But the dream turned into fantasy just seven minutes before half-time when no-nonsense centre-halt Michael Carrick fed a deserving Nani to slot home an incredible third.
At this point, it couldn’t get worse for Arsenal, surely.
But it did. Three minutes after the re-start, straight-from-the-Africa-Cup-of-Nation Emmanuel Eboue couldn’t hope for a more unpleasant welcome when he was shown red after a barbaric tackle on French left-back Patrice Evra.
Without Flamini, Rosicky, Adebayor, Clichy, Van Persie, Walcott, or even Denilson, Arsenal was looking rather shallow in terms of creativity. Danish Nicklas Bentener and Eduardo didn’t seem to blend, and Fabregas and Hleb in the middle just looked to be out of options. United were simply on top of their game. And perhaps it was the injection of youth that did the damage, with tenacious yet stylish Anderson filling in for Scholes, Park Ji Sung for Giggs, and Nani for Ronaldo. Arsenal was given a dose of their own medicine.
The final nail was carefully inserted in the coffin in the 74th minute when an amazing Nani managed to pull off a juicy cross at the end of a mazy run to find Darren Fletcher unmarked at the far post. His header was, again, perfect.
The result sends the Gunners crushing out of England’s most famous Cup, and United straight into the draw for the quarterfinal where they will be joined by other big-guns Chelsea. Meanwhile, last year’s Champion’s League finalists Liverpool were also very rudely booted-out by a very much second tier Barnsley FC.
What has been described as a ‘virtuoso’ performance by England wonder-kid Wayne Rooney proved to be a little too elusive for the gunners as the comeback-kid wreaked havoc in the visitor’s shaky defense. It was a sixteenth minute corner from the tunnel-end of Old Trafford that sparked everything. A well-positioned Rooney reacted quickest to a lose ball in the penalty area; and his header was too well-place for a hapless Jens Lehmann, even with two men on either post.
Perhaps the difference of the game was United’s new-found Portuguese inspiration Nani, who, without his fellow countryman Christiano Ronaldo, was given license to kill in midfield. And kill he did. A perfect ball on the 20th minute mark fell kindly for Scotland’s Darren Fletcher to further drop the jaws of the United fans, who were, at this point, quite literally in ‘dreamland’. But the dream turned into fantasy just seven minutes before half-time when no-nonsense centre-halt Michael Carrick fed a deserving Nani to slot home an incredible third.
At this point, it couldn’t get worse for Arsenal, surely.
But it did. Three minutes after the re-start, straight-from-the-Africa-Cup-of-Nation Emmanuel Eboue couldn’t hope for a more unpleasant welcome when he was shown red after a barbaric tackle on French left-back Patrice Evra.
Without Flamini, Rosicky, Adebayor, Clichy, Van Persie, Walcott, or even Denilson, Arsenal was looking rather shallow in terms of creativity. Danish Nicklas Bentener and Eduardo didn’t seem to blend, and Fabregas and Hleb in the middle just looked to be out of options. United were simply on top of their game. And perhaps it was the injection of youth that did the damage, with tenacious yet stylish Anderson filling in for Scholes, Park Ji Sung for Giggs, and Nani for Ronaldo. Arsenal was given a dose of their own medicine.
The final nail was carefully inserted in the coffin in the 74th minute when an amazing Nani managed to pull off a juicy cross at the end of a mazy run to find Darren Fletcher unmarked at the far post. His header was, again, perfect.
The result sends the Gunners crushing out of England’s most famous Cup, and United straight into the draw for the quarterfinal where they will be joined by other big-guns Chelsea. Meanwhile, last year’s Champion’s League finalists Liverpool were also very rudely booted-out by a very much second tier Barnsley FC.
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