Report: United 0 Arsenal 1

With five minutes left and the scores level at 0-0 United would have taken a draw and thought it a point gained rather than two lost. But the Reds paid the price for too many mistakes when Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor snatched a late winner at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The Arsenal front man had earlier missed a penalty, but took his chance after the Reds once again cheaply gave away possession.
Jens Lehmann's late heroics kept out an equaliser, but it was Arsenal's afternoon as United surrendered their 100 per cent Premiership record.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned after missing the midweek win over Celtic due to a one-match European suspension. The Portuguese winger started on the left, with Darren Fletcher retaining his place on the right, while John O’Shea was preferred to Michael Carrick as a more defensive option alongside Paul Scholes. Tomasz Kuszczak was given his competitive debut in place of Edwin van der Sar, who was ruled out due to illness.

Arsenal were without injured duo Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, a significant dent to their attacking potency. But Freddie Ljungberg and Emmanuel Adebayor, their replacements, would cause United problems all afternoon as they sought to end their winless start to the season.

Fixtures between these two teams are rarely uneventful or short of controversy. And so it was that, just five minutes into the contest, United fans were screaming for Lehmann to be sent off. The Gunners' goalkeeper picked the ball up clearly outside his area, but referee Graham Poll deemed it only a yellow card offence.

At the other, United’s goalkeeper was kept busy as well. After 11 minutes he was tricked by Adebayor into going to ground to concede a penalty. There was minimal contact, but little option for Poll other than to point to the spot. However, the Polish stopper redeemed himself, saving Gilberto Silva's weak penalty.

It was a nervy few minutes as Arsenal went close again seconds later. Kuszczak got a hand to Adebayor’s header from the resulting corner kick, but Scholes had to scramble the ball off the line. The Reds keeper was certainly being tested on his debut. He was called upon again to deny Tomas Rosicky’s powerful volley after 18 minutes.

For all that Arsenal were expected to miss Henry and van Persie, it was the Gunners who looked the more threatening in front of goal. It took until the 24th minute for United to create a real opening. Ronaldo put Rooney through on the left and the 20-year-old striker fired wide with his left foot.

Soon after Fletcher tested Lehmann with a looping header from Gary Neville’s cross. Then Patrice Evra, a substitute for the injured Mikael Silvestre, won possession with a crunching challenge on Cesc Fabregas, which allowed Ronaldo to force another save out of Lehmann with a right-footed volley.

United grew in confidence the longer the half went on. And Ronaldo was again at the centre of a goalscoring opportunity when he went on a surging run and sent a crashing 25-yard drive just wide with four minutes remaining in the first half. Completing a hat-trick of chances, the Portuguese winger volleyed straight at Lehmann’s face from point-blank range two minutes later. The Arsenal keeper took a fairly nasty blow to the head - met with little sympathy from United fans behind the goal - but the scoreline remained unaffected at the break.

The second half had not so feisty a start as the first 45 minutes, but United continued where they had left off, with Louis Saha having the best chance on the hour. The Frenchman flicked Scholes’ chipped pass out to Fletcher on the right, and then found space in the box to meet the Scot's cross with a glancing header that left Lehmann merely observing as the ball went inches wide.

Arsenal hit back when Ronaldo’s weak lay-off to Wes Brown allowed the impressive Adebayor to break through with just Ferdinand and Kuszczak to contend with, but the latter saved well low to his left.

Sir Alex looked to press Arsenal, switching to a 4-3-3 formation with Rooney, Saha and Ronaldo up front. Then, with 13 minutes remaining, the Reds boss replaced Rooney and Scholes with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick in attempt to freshen things up.

But, the Reds continued a worrying trend of errors which afforded Arsenal chances. O’Shea played a short pass to Ferdinand, which substitute Julio Baptista intercepted, and, fortunately for United, fired his shot wide. However, with five minutes remaining, it was one mistake too many as Ronaldo cheaply conceded possession to Fabregas and the Spanish midfielder made the Reds pay. Weaving his way to the edge of the box he slipped a pass through to Adebayor, who slid his shot under Kuszczak’s body. It was a lead few could deny Arsenal deserved.

The Reds very nearly pulled it back when Solskjaer’s volley was superbly tipped round the post by Lehmann. Then, in injury time, the German keeper saved again from an acrobatic effort from Brown. But it was Arsenal’s day.

Team Line-ups

United: Kuszczak, Neville (c), Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre (Evra, 24), Fletcher, O’Shea, Scholes (Carrick, 77), Ronaldo, Rooney (Solskjaer, 77), Saha.
Subs not used: Heaton, Vidic.

Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Toure, Djourou, Gallas, Hleb (Baptista, 68), Gilberto Silva (c), Fabregas, Rosicky, Ljungberg, Adebayor (Flamini, 88).
Subs not used: Almunia, Hoyte,Walcott.

Goalscorers: Adebayor (85)

Attendance: 75,595 (United and Premiership record)


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