|
90' |
|
Endgame Summary: An exciting battle between the two English sides. Arsenal may end up seeing the effort as a letdown after their effort in the first half. Manchester United certainly reminded the EPL why they were crowned the best of the league by being able to rebound from the deficit. Theo Walcott will be heralded as one of the better performers for his team, his goal, although in offside position, was a statement for the Arsenal side. From United it was an excellent performance from the usual suspects, Robin van Persie was able to equalize with his well taken penalty and many chances were created from the feet of Wayne Rooney. United will not be able to make history with the highest EPL point total with only three games left but they will be satisfied nonetheless. Arsenal will be much more frustrated as Chelsea's victory earlier in the day has the Blues ahead of the Gunners in the table. It was a true battle between two of England's finest clubs that saw both sides determined as they provided moments of genius. Until next time football fans! |
|
90' |
|
The final whistle is blown! |
|
90' |
|
Match over |
|
90' |
|
The clock is still ticking. United look content with their one point. Arsenal on the other hand have their eyes fixed upon victory. |
|
90' |
|
Arsenal have spent plenty of time lingering near the United penalty area but nothing has come from all their work. |
|
90' |
|
It is truly inspiring, Arsene Wenger has not left the coaching zone for the past few minutes. He is willing his team on, he wants to see his side win. |
|
90' |
|
Four minutes to be played in this one. |
|
88' |
|
Substitution (in) Manchester United -> Javier Hernández |
|
88' |
|
Substitution (out) Manchester United -> Wayne Rooney |
|
88' |
|
A chance for Ryan Giggs! Wayne Rooney's fantastic lob over the defense finds Ryan Giggs. Giggs can make his way all the way into the penalty area before releasing an effort towards goal. It takes a deflection and United sees a corner that Evra can only lift over the frame of the goal. |
|
86' |
|
A great shot from Santi Cazorla and David De Gea is ready. He fists the effort away from harm. Arsenal are pressing hard! |
|
85' |
|
The Gunners are giving it their all to try and find a way towards victory. The home side have had plenty of opportunities in the middle but nothing has gotten through to this point. |
|
83' |
|
The Red Devils finally saw their first corner ball. After a bit of bouncing around, Rooney strikes towards goal but De Gea is more than capable of stepping in front of the shot. |
|
82' |
|
Substitution (in) Manchester United -> Ryan Giggs |
|
82' |
|
Substitution (out) Manchester United -> Nani |
|
81' |
|
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal FC) is shown a yellow card
The freshly substituted Oxlade-Chamberlain stepped on his opponents foot. Well deserved yellow. |
|
79' |
|
Arsenal have found a bit of the aggression that was so prevalent in the first half. They have certainly been much more active in the last few minutes of the match and are looking desperately for a decisive second score. |
|
78' |
|
Substitution (in) Arsenal FC -> Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain |
|
78' |
|
Substitution (out) Arsenal FC -> Aaron Ramsey |
|
77' |
|
Walcott's right-footed blast never has an effort to trouble De Gea thanks to Jonny Evans getting his foot in the well. Well disciplined defense from the United side. |
|
75' |
|
Jack Wilshere has a go against the Manchester defense. Although his cross cannot find any assistance in the middle of the box, the skill shown by the youngster is remarkable. |
|
73' |
|
Substitution (in) Manchester United -> Anderson |
|
73' |
|
Substitution (out) Manchester United -> Rafael |
|
73' |
|
Laurent Koscielny gets his foot on the corner but lifts the effort over the crossbar. |
|
73' |
|
The Arsenal fans have made themselves heard after a great shot by Aaron Ramsey leads to the first corner for the Gunners of the half. |
|
71' |
|
Substitution (in) Arsenal FC -> Gervinho |
|
71' |
|
Substitution (out) Arsenal FC -> Lukas Podolski |
|
70' |
|
A great build up for Manchester United led by Wayne Rooney. His cross is deftly sniffed out by his defender but the action and awareness of both he and his teammates has been impressive so far. |
|
68' |
|
The United side have still had their way with controlling possession so far in this second half. If the first half belonged to Arsenal, the second has belonged to the away side through its first quarter. |
|
66' |
|
A decent effort from Cazorla from the free kick but it comes to nothing. Both sides are once again feeling each other out to try and find a weakness in the defensive side. Neither have found anything yet. |
|
65' |
|
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) is shown a yellow card
Antonio Valencia is penned with a yellow card after lifting his arm to deflect to ball right outside of the penalty area. Cazorla prepares his free kick |
|
65' |
|
What a match! It has been well fought by both sides and will be exciting to see the final result. |
|
63' |
|
Here comes the young Jack Wilshere for his team. Wenger is certainly hoping to see his young midfielder make an impact on the result. |
|
62' |
|
Substitution (in) Arsenal FC -> Jack Wilshere |
|
62' |
|
Substitution (out) Arsenal FC -> Tomáš Rosický |
|
58' |
|
In the second half Manchester United's enjoyed 60% ball possession. It is a telling statistic for how much defending the Arresnal side have had to do. |
|
56' |
|
Wayne Rooney gets his head to a great cross from Patrice Evra. His header is easily parried away from danger but the action was yet another deliberate opportunity from the United side. |
|
55' |
|
An excellent pass from Ramsey to Podolksi straight into the heart of Szczęsny's box. The german international is a step too slow to meet the delivery with his foot but it could have been a very dangerous effort for the home club. |
|
53' |
|
The United side have done well with their defensive responsibilities to this point in the second half and the Gunners have been forced to do a lot of work in their own midfield. |
|
51' |
|
It has been a challenge of wits as both teams try to push forward and decide the match. Van Persie tries to find Rooney in the middle of the penalty area but misses his teammates foot very narrowly. |
|
48' |
|
Arsenal sees the first effort of the second half! Tomáš Rosický wiggles himself through the Manchester United and takes a shot right above the penalty area, his attempt misses the target but Arsenal are still playing determined. |
|
47' |
|
The opening phases of the second half have seen a much more active Manchester United. Both sides have seen themselves with possesion deep within their opponent's territory but no chances for either club to this point. |
|
46' |
|
Back for the second half! |
|
46' |
|
Beginning of second half |
|
45' |
|
Halftime Summary: It was an excellent start for the Gunners and they saw their aggressive playing style rewarded as Theo Walcott put the home team ahead in spite of his offside position. Arsenal looked the better half for most of the first half as Manchester United could do nothing to truly challenge the home side. Unfortunately for the Gunners, a mistake from Bacary Sagna found the Red Devils in a prime position to bring themselves even from the penalty area. Van Persie finished his effort from the the spot cooly to bring his new club even with his former. The equalizer acted as a bit of an injection of energy for United and they performed to the level of their competition in the closing phase of the first half. So far it has been an excellent match between two of England's finest; the battle will continue shortly! |
|
45' |
|
End of first half |
|
45' |
|
Arsenal will be disappointed to be going to the break without the lead. They have been the better club for most of the first stanza and were unlucky to see amistake lead to an equalizing goal for van Persie. |
|
45' |
|
Three minutes left to be played in this exciting first half. |
|
44' |
|
Goooal for Manchester United, 1:1 by Robin van Persie
After all the whistling and booing from his former club, the dutch international player brings his new side back level. A simply brilliant shot that beats Szczęsny to the left netting of the goal. Manchester will be pleased to have found themselves a bit in the last ten minutes of the first half. |
|
43' |
|
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal FC) is shown a yellow card
|
|
43' |
|
Now Sagna has made two mistakes. After a terrible pass, delivered directly to Robin van Persie he comes in from the back of the Dutchman in the penalty area and brings him down. Van Persie at the penalty spot. |
|
41' |
|
Jones with a missed chance! This time Manchester United carries from the left. Antonio Valencia finds Jones in the middle but his header is a bit wayward thanks to a bit of disturbance from Bacary Sagna. |
|
39' |
|
Huge opportunity for Robin van Persie! Nani's speed helps him escape from the Gunner's defense and deliver a cross into the middle. Van Persie cannot head his shot past Koscielny, as it meets him directly in the face, and the keeper takes a moment to gather himself. He's fit to continue. |
|
36' |
|
There was an excellent chance to counter from the away club. The run lead by Rooney and van Persie ends with Nani's shot deflected away from danger by a sliding Mertesacker. |
|
35' |
|
Besides one dangerous effort from Manchester United, the tempo and rhythm of the match have belonged to the home side. |
|
33' |
|
Theo Walcott (Arsenal FC) is shown a yellow card
A slight bit of grabbing from Walcott and he's rewarded yellow for his actions. |
|
32' |
|
Excellent save from De Gea! Another mistake from the United defense and Podolski has a go from the left side of the penalty area. The United keeper is up for the challenge and can guide the shot away. |
|
30' |
|
Jonny Evans (Manchester United) is shown a yellow card
Yet another yellow for the United side, thats four for them Jonny Evans meets the calf of Walcott. After a bit of extracurricular between Evans and Walcott activity Arsenal have a free kick deflected off the United wall. |
|
29' |
|
The aggression and drive of Manchester United is truly lacking at this point. Arsenal have complete control of the game through this point. Unlike their competitors, United have yet to assert themselves. |
|
27' |
|
Robin van Persie (Manchester United) is shown a yellow card
A deserving yellow for van Persie now. His silly challenge meets nothing but the leg of Per Mertesacker and the german international remains a few moments on the ground before returning to action. |
|
24' |
|
Rafael (Manchester United) is shown a yellow card
After wrapping his arm around the neck of his opponent to slow the Arsenal advance, Rafael had to see yellow. |
|
23' |
|
United haven't seemed themselves in the first quarter of the competition. The early effort from Walcott has certainly slowed them but it has been difficult for them to find themselves in Emirates. |
|
21' |
|
Santi Carzola with a bit of lazy defense that leads to a corner. After clearing the threat the defender pushes the ball out of bounds. Fortunately nothing comes of the ensuing corner but such action is indicative of United's performanec to this point. |
|
19' |
|
Close effort from Jones! At the end of his run down the left flank, van Persie finds Phil Jones in the middle of the box and lifts a pass over the defense to Jones's head. The shot whisks by the left pole harmlessly. |
|
17' |
|
Phil Jones (Manchester United) is shown a yellow card
A dangerous challenge from Phil Jones on Mikel Arteta. Jones sweeps in to clean up Arteta's run but the tackle is unjust. He sees yellow for the challenge deservingly so. |
|
14' |
|
Arsenal have no problem pressing the United club. Although it has resulted in a couple of foul plays from their side it has, to this point, been beneficial for the home team. |
|
12' |
|
Robin van Persie's first effort of the match! The Dutchman slides into the box and manages to rip a shot towards Szczęsny's goal. The result is less than aesthetically pleasing and he hears it from his former club. |
|
11' |
|
Arsene Wenger's plan for the first 15 minutes of this match was to busy the United defense and pressure them. To be sure, the Gunners have responded well to the call. |
|
9' |
|
But the Red Lions have responded well. After pushing forwards, the championship side are looking to control the tempo of this competition and perhaps find a gap in the Arsenal defense, which has been astounding so far. |
|
7' |
|
To this point it may appear that Arsenal had just won their title; possession has rested soley in United's defensive half and De Gea has already been challenged a handful of times. |
|
5' |
|
How will the away club react? Arsenal have clearly set the tone for their stadium and look to make a statement against the title winners. |
|
2' |
|
Goooal for Arsenal FC, 1:0 by Theo Walcott
What a start for the Gunners! Robin van Persie, who has been hearing it from the home side, fails to clear the ball through middle field. Tomáš Rosický whips a pass to Theo Walcott who finds himself dashing into the penalty area. Walcott can slip his shot through De Gea's legs and into the net. Walcott is clearly in offsides position when he receives the delivery but no whistle is blown. |
|
1' |
|
The ball is rolling in the Emirates stadium! |
|
1' |
|
Beginning |
|
|
|
With only a few minutes before the first whistle, there is no more need for speculation in what should be a terrific duel between the two english sides. With Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson meeting for, perhaps one of the last times in English Premier League competition both teams will certainly have enough to battle for. Until kick off! |
|
|
|
The ankle injury of Jack Wilshere and his performance today against Arsenal are two themes of interest. Wilshere played for the first time in six weeks in a mid-April match against Norwich City and although the 21-year-old has begun to see his form return, he has had trouble in front of goal all year, scoring only two times in all competitions for the Gunners. How he performs against his national teammate Michael Carrick in the midfield will be a deciding factor in this match. |
|
|
|
But will Ferguson's club play inspired football? The possibility of a letdown is something the visiting club will have to take into consideration as they try to justify their title against stark competition. Without any tangible motivation for the champions, it may be an opportune evening for the Gunners to up themselves a few notches in the table. |
|
|
|
One area of concern for the home side is that they have only been able to take four points from top five clubs this season. Every other member of the tabel's top five has at least 10 points. Wenger's club is also, confusingly, not as a strong as home as they are away. With 14 goals conceded on the road, the Gunners have the best away defense but struggle at home and with 21 goals allowed at the Emirates they are 13th best. United will certainly look to add to that total and their attacking style will guarantee that they see some chances in front of the net. |
|
|
|
Although they have already locked up their crown, United may still have something to play for. With four matches remaining, the Red Devils met the accomplishment of Arsenal's 2003-2004 team by being crowned so early. Ferguson's club have another goal they may look to reach: the 2005 Chelsea team set a Premier League best with 95 points, United have to win out to raise the bar by one point. Arsenal on the other hand will be looking to secure their spot at the top of the table as they are in a duel with the likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City for high positioning with Euro and Champions League berths on the line. |
|
|
|
It may, however; be difficult for Arsenal, the current third placed team in the Premier league, to keep up with the likes of Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney's scoring prowess. The Gunners will be missing a star piece of their offense with the three-match ban of Olivier Giroud holding up after he was shown red against Fulham. The Frenchman has scored 11 times in Premier League action in his first year at Emirates and is valuable for the Arsenal side. Perhaps the likes of german international Lukas Podolski, Theo Walcott and Gervinho can make up for anything they would be missing from Giroud. |
|
|
|
Today will mark a homecoming of sorts for Manchester United's Robin van Persie. The Dutchman made 277 appearances for the Gunners and has already begun to make his mark on United. Van Persie was pivotal in the latest title campaign with 24 goals in his 34 Premier League tallies for the club. Will the Dutch international player be able to have the same effect on his old club as he did, for example, Monday against Aston Villa with a hat trick in the 3:0 victory. |
|
|
|
Yet another face off between two of the most heralded trainers in football. While Sir Alex Ferguson has continued to build upon his legacy in Manchester, winning his 13th title this season, Arsene Wenger's dynasty at Arsenal seems to be coming to an end. Regardless of the status of the clubs it is always a pleasure to see the two in action. |
|
|
|
An exciting day for English Premier League fans! The newly crowned Premier League title-winning champions of Manchester United will face Arsenal, one of their largest rivals, in the Emirates Stadium. The match will begin shortly but updates and info will be provided here up through kick-off! |
