Before the game, the anti Usmanov protests were there in force, thousands of orange balloons decorating the northern end of the stadium, to let the TV viewers know that Arsenal fans don't want Alisher Usmanov taking over our club. When the first whistle went, though, all the balloons seemed to disappear, and everybody was concentrating on the football. Which was pretty dull for the first half hour or so, to be honest - not much happening, and a very slow and sluggish start, all in all.Just into first half injury time, horrible, horrible Wayne Rooney got onto the end of a Ronaldo cross, and although the ball hit William Gallas on the way in (and looked a bit like a miskick), it was a decent run from Shrek to get into the position. The Mancs went mental, which was a totally depressing sight, and we all heard them for the first time in the game - typical for a bunch of fans that are very loud when things are going their way, but that you absolutely cannot hear a peep from when they aren't having it all the way they want it. So, a depressing end to the first half, and many Arsenal fans at half time knew that we had a big job to do.
Almost as soon as the second half started (lots must have missed it if they were late back from half time), a good Arsenal move ended up with the ball at Cesc Fabregas's feet, about 6 yards out from goal. He did very well to trap and control the ball, then just seemed to casually roll it into the bottom corner of Van der Sar's goal, to provoke pandemonium at the north end of the ground. He ran towards the bench, before being shoved away from Arsene Wenger by the fourth official - quite why, nobody had any idea. In fact, in general, the officials in the game were very over officious, and seemed to be very picky whenever Arsenal players breathed out of turn.
As the second half wore on, there were decent chances for both sides. The referee seemed to give all of the decisions to Manchester United, and generally to blow his whistle far too much - most football fans prefer to see the game flowing, and he seemed to be needlessly stopping it too often. Also as the half progressed, there were a few scrapes in the Arsenal box - some caused by lapses in concentration from the defenders, others by some erratic goalkeeping, and some crazy rushes off his line, from Manuel Almunia. The Manc second goal was a product of one of each of these - a good run from Evra, which Walcott totally failed to track him on, then Almunia rushing out to find himself in no man's land. It gave Evra the simplest of pull-backs to play into the centre, and a tap in for Cristiano Ronaldo. More noise from the Mancs, after they had spent a relatively quiet half, they were full of mouth again.
So, Arsenal had to come from behind again, and come from behind they did. This really shows that the team have the qualities we need to win the League - coming from behind twice against Manchester United is not easy, and the never say die attitude seemed to see us through. We had to wait until the last minute, but we got there in the end, Gallas's hooked shot was a yard over the line before Van der Sar could push it back out. On balance, a draw was probably a fair result - having never been ahead in the game, I can't really say that Arsenal deserved or did enough to win - but then I don't think we deserved to lose the game either.
Of course, afterwards, Alex Ferguson's view was different. He claimed that the referee favoured Arsenal, then adding that he had the potential to reach the top, of course cleverly inferring that to get right to the top, he needs to start giving Manchester United a few more decisions (like all the top refs have to do to avoid Ferguson's bullying tactics). He then complained that there was a foul on Saha in the build-up to the second Arsenal equaliser, which Sky later showed to have happened over a minute and a half before the ball went in (including a goal kick for each team, and an Arsenal throw). He really does show himself up (and does this against Arsenal on a regular basis), when he makes such ridiculous statements, as many people pointed out afterwards.
His most ridiculous statement of all was that there is a lack of security at Arsenal's stadium. He claimed to have been abused by somebody a few feet away in the crowd, and it was good that, in the Sunday Times report amongst other places, the irony of this complaint was pointed out, because Ferguson spent most of the game abusing the fourth official. When 70,000 Manchester United fans call Arsene Wenger a paedophile during Arsenal games at Old Trafford, nobody EVER reports it, and nobody at Manchester United EVER says anything to condemn it, it really is a stupid and hypocritical rant for Alex Ferguson to get into, as if he expects to be treated reverentially at the home of a club he has spent the last 10 years slating.
Anyway, hopefully the senile old bastard will retire soon, and we can all get on to enjoy life in the Premiership without referee intimidation, and his stupid mind games. The Observer report on the game seems to be a pretty balanced one. The game was apparently watched by over 700 million people around the world, more than saw the last World Cup Final. It wasn't all that great a game of football (the Liverpool game last week was a better match), but then the biggest games often aren't. Still, onwards and upwards, and an away game in Prague this week, which could book our place in the last 16.
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