It could have been the defeat against bitter rivals Man City on their own turf last week. People were writing them off after two lacklustre displays prior to this meeting. Man Utd had other ideas in this knockout tie against the current league leaders, though.
It was a wonderful first half performance worthy of a champions' title in what was Sir Alex Ferguson's 100th game in charge of Man Utd in the FA Cup. Fluid passing and incessant harrying and bustling by the Red Devils saw them raced to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first half.
Arsenal had their fringe players in their starting line-up but they can't deny Man Utd had their own fringe players too. Besides, these same Arsenal youngsters have been earning their plaudits in local newspapers.
In a relatively untested formation, apart from the backline, Nani, Fletcher and Park Ji Sung started alongside Carrick and Anderson in a 5-man midfield.
In the opening minutes, Brown, Nani and Fletcher proved they deserved their places in the first XI, although they must play more consistently to hold on to it. As the match wore on, the 5-man midfield stuck to their task although Park was the quietest among the quintet. One-touch passing and off the ball movement allowed United to create chances but at the same time, pegged Arsenal offence to limited goal-scoring chances too. It was fair to say Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes wasn;t missed.
Nani, in particular, was the man of the match for me. His corner led to the first goal for Rooney, his stepovers and dribble led to the second for Fletcher that deflected off a Gallas header and his deserved cool finish for the third goal rounded up his all-around display.
Arsenal started the second half in one of the worst ways possible when Eboue was red-carded somewhat harshly after a challenge with Evra.
The extra man advantage had United spraying shots with regularity and it was disappointing that Rooney did not add to his tally when compared to the number of chances he had on the night.
In the last 20 minutes, Arsenal made three simultaneous substitutions and United brought on Scholes and Saha for Anderson and Rooney.
In a somewhat reminiscent goal to the second, Nani again became a provider for Fletcher. It certainly does not get any sweeter for his best performance so far in a Man Utd jersey. He even entertained the Old Trafford crowd with some juggling tricks that had Hoyte and Flamini closing him down in frustration. The frustration boiled over when Gallas acted rather immaturely as club captain when he nudged Nani on the butt. Such petty shenanigan surely belonged to Sunday park football.
Near the end, Saha should have make it 5, but Lehmann, who has done well to keep the score down, saved his tame effort.
When the final whistle blows, Sir Alex must have been delighted with his gamble. The result was 3-fold. Firstly, Man Utd stamped their superiority and possibly dealt a psychological blow to the league leaders with a truly first class performance. Secondly, it was a great way to bounce after two poor recent performances. Lastly, Man Utd proved they can play without Ronaldo. Let's not forget, I did not even mention one Carlos Tevez.
It was a wonderful first half performance worthy of a champions' title in what was Sir Alex Ferguson's 100th game in charge of Man Utd in the FA Cup. Fluid passing and incessant harrying and bustling by the Red Devils saw them raced to a 3-0 lead by the end of the first half.
Arsenal had their fringe players in their starting line-up but they can't deny Man Utd had their own fringe players too. Besides, these same Arsenal youngsters have been earning their plaudits in local newspapers.
In a relatively untested formation, apart from the backline, Nani, Fletcher and Park Ji Sung started alongside Carrick and Anderson in a 5-man midfield.
In the opening minutes, Brown, Nani and Fletcher proved they deserved their places in the first XI, although they must play more consistently to hold on to it. As the match wore on, the 5-man midfield stuck to their task although Park was the quietest among the quintet. One-touch passing and off the ball movement allowed United to create chances but at the same time, pegged Arsenal offence to limited goal-scoring chances too. It was fair to say Ronaldo, Giggs and Scholes wasn;t missed.
Nani, in particular, was the man of the match for me. His corner led to the first goal for Rooney, his stepovers and dribble led to the second for Fletcher that deflected off a Gallas header and his deserved cool finish for the third goal rounded up his all-around display.
Arsenal started the second half in one of the worst ways possible when Eboue was red-carded somewhat harshly after a challenge with Evra.
The extra man advantage had United spraying shots with regularity and it was disappointing that Rooney did not add to his tally when compared to the number of chances he had on the night.
In the last 20 minutes, Arsenal made three simultaneous substitutions and United brought on Scholes and Saha for Anderson and Rooney.
In a somewhat reminiscent goal to the second, Nani again became a provider for Fletcher. It certainly does not get any sweeter for his best performance so far in a Man Utd jersey. He even entertained the Old Trafford crowd with some juggling tricks that had Hoyte and Flamini closing him down in frustration. The frustration boiled over when Gallas acted rather immaturely as club captain when he nudged Nani on the butt. Such petty shenanigan surely belonged to Sunday park football.
Near the end, Saha should have make it 5, but Lehmann, who has done well to keep the score down, saved his tame effort.
When the final whistle blows, Sir Alex must have been delighted with his gamble. The result was 3-fold. Firstly, Man Utd stamped their superiority and possibly dealt a psychological blow to the league leaders with a truly first class performance. Secondly, it was a great way to bounce after two poor recent performances. Lastly, Man Utd proved they can play without Ronaldo. Let's not forget, I did not even mention one Carlos Tevez.
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