Today is our first "Real" test of the season and I am surprisingly confident ahead of our trip to old trafford.
I know of course, I am bias to my beloved Gooners but I believe our recent performances and new found hunger this season may win the day. Of course I am not foolish enough to be writing utd off but I believe their losses of Tevez and Ronaldo could be the key to us overcoming the red devils this season. Rooney has now come to the fold even more and will have to fill the void left by the summer departures in Manchester. There is no denying Rooney is a class act so taming him today is crucial if we are to get a victory.
There was no Cesc Fabregas today bt apart from that we had our first team squad available.
Manuel Almunia
Bacary Sagna
William Gallas
Thomas Vermaelen
Gael Clichy
Denilson
Alex Song
Andrey Arshavin
Abou Diaby
Emmanuel Eboue
Robin Van Persie
Subs: Eduardo
Mikael Silvestre
Aaron Ramsey
Jack Wilshere
Kieran Gibbs
Nicklas Bendtner
Vito Mannone
Both teams started like for like with Fergie deciding to parallel Wengers decision of a 3 man midfield. The start was a good one with both teams setting a good pace in the opening minutes. Rooney as expected looked sprightly along with Arshavin and Eboue who looked to get forward early on. Both teams threatened but didn't produce a good chance on goal and each goalkeeper had little to do until the 9th minute. Rooney flighted a good pass to fletcher in the box but he blazed high from a very good opportunity.
United then produced a passage of possession which did at moments look to threaten the back four but Gallas, vermaelen and Clichy all hampered multiple Utd efforts to et the lead. The next real chance for the gunners came on the 24th minute when Robin van persie had the time to setup a left footed shot in the box but was deflected for a corner. From that corner another chance arose with Arshavin going close to side footing a shot through a wall of utd players in the top corner but just skewed it narrowly over.
The game did start to become littered with misplayed passes on both sides and as a result both sides looked to break and catch the other off guard but the score looked to remain deadlocked until till the second half. How wrong I was because on the 39th minute Arshain picked up a loose ball and rifled a shot outside the box which Ben foster could only deflect in the roof of the net, and what a goal it was!
Manchester united were determined not to go in behind and they had a good chance to equalise with vidic in the congested box but his chance was rapidly cleared away. One player of special mention has to be William Gallas who was fantastic in the first 45mins not putting a foot wrong and taking Rooney out of the game. We go in 1-0 at half time and well deserved.
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