United goes top as Park sinks Gunners
Source: Agencies |
December 15, 2010, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
MANCHESTER United went two points clear at the top of the Premier League after Park Ji-sung's 41st minute goal gave Alex Ferguson's side a 1-0 victory in the high-stakes game with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday.
United was the better side throughout and could have won by a bigger margin had Wayne Rooney not missed a 73rd-minute penalty after Gael Clichy had handled inside the area.
Arsenal, which started the game at the top, failed to sparkle and struggled to test the United defense.
United never looked troubled once it took control with Park's sixth goal of the season four minutes before half time, a clever header from Nani's deflected cross.
Ferguson praised Park's performance and admitted the midfielder will be missed when he links up with South Korea for the 2011 Asian Cup tournament in Qatar, January 7-29.
"He's in fantastic form and we lose him after December 26 for the Asian Cup for seven matches which is disappointing," Ferguson said.
"Arsenal came back in the second half and pegged us back, but we had some good chances on the counter attack and deserved the victory."
Arsenal gave a Premier League debut to 20-year-old Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny and he made some crucial saves, including a spectacular stop to deny Rooney in the 85th minute, but United still edged it.
The match was seen by some as a chance for Arsenal, which has not won a trophy since 2005, to prove its title credentials, but manager Arsene Wenger insisted the team's supporters should not lose hope.
Wenger also criticized the Old Trafford pitch as "not good enough to play good football".
"On both sides you have seen technical mistakes because the pitch is not good enough to play good football," Wenger said. "(It is) bouncy and slippery as well."
The match between two of the Premier League's powerhouses was watched at Old Trafford by a capacity crowd including 23 of the Chilean miners who were rescued in October, as well as United's former midfielder David Beckham.
They were not treated to a classic as both sides struggled to create clearcut chances.
Szczesny, half the age of United's 40-year-old keeper Edwin van der Sar, had his fingers stung by Rooney from 22 yards in the ninth minute, but it was the one of few saves the youngster was called to make. Arsenal responded through Marouane Chamakh but his 12th-minute header failed to trouble Van der Sar.
United started with Dimitar Berbatov, the league's leading scorer with 11 goals, on the substitutes' bench, and his side looked to be missing his impact when Nani fired wide after Sebastien Squillaci failed to properly clear Darren Fletcher's 23rd-minute cross.
Both teams had claims for a penalty turned down, Chamakh's appeal waved away by referee Howard Webb after he appeared to be blocked by Rafael da Silva before Chamakh was lucky to escape at the other end when the ball seemed to strike his hand.
United was the better side throughout and could have won by a bigger margin had Wayne Rooney not missed a 73rd-minute penalty after Gael Clichy had handled inside the area.
Arsenal, which started the game at the top, failed to sparkle and struggled to test the United defense.
United never looked troubled once it took control with Park's sixth goal of the season four minutes before half time, a clever header from Nani's deflected cross.
Ferguson praised Park's performance and admitted the midfielder will be missed when he links up with South Korea for the 2011 Asian Cup tournament in Qatar, January 7-29.
"He's in fantastic form and we lose him after December 26 for the Asian Cup for seven matches which is disappointing," Ferguson said.
"Arsenal came back in the second half and pegged us back, but we had some good chances on the counter attack and deserved the victory."
Arsenal gave a Premier League debut to 20-year-old Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny and he made some crucial saves, including a spectacular stop to deny Rooney in the 85th minute, but United still edged it.
The match was seen by some as a chance for Arsenal, which has not won a trophy since 2005, to prove its title credentials, but manager Arsene Wenger insisted the team's supporters should not lose hope.
Wenger also criticized the Old Trafford pitch as "not good enough to play good football".
"On both sides you have seen technical mistakes because the pitch is not good enough to play good football," Wenger said. "(It is) bouncy and slippery as well."
The match between two of the Premier League's powerhouses was watched at Old Trafford by a capacity crowd including 23 of the Chilean miners who were rescued in October, as well as United's former midfielder David Beckham.
They were not treated to a classic as both sides struggled to create clearcut chances.
Szczesny, half the age of United's 40-year-old keeper Edwin van der Sar, had his fingers stung by Rooney from 22 yards in the ninth minute, but it was the one of few saves the youngster was called to make. Arsenal responded through Marouane Chamakh but his 12th-minute header failed to trouble Van der Sar.
United started with Dimitar Berbatov, the league's leading scorer with 11 goals, on the substitutes' bench, and his side looked to be missing his impact when Nani fired wide after Sebastien Squillaci failed to properly clear Darren Fletcher's 23rd-minute cross.
Both teams had claims for a penalty turned down, Chamakh's appeal waved away by referee Howard Webb after he appeared to be blocked by Rafael da Silva before Chamakh was lucky to escape at the other end when the ball seemed to strike his hand.
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