Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal : Five Talking Points

Robin van Persie scores, but Rooney was the MVP

Robin van Persie scored his third goal in three games against Arsenal. The latest one was a brilliant header from a well worked corner. And although van Persie got the goal, it was Rooney who got around the park and was arguably the best player on either side.

There are few players in the world, who are as effective as Wayne Rooney at both going forward and defending. Not only was Rooney a threat going forward, with his precise passing and his relentless running, he also did his fair share of defending as well. He tracked back, made tackles, intercepted passes and had an all round game of such high quality that few in the world can come close to matching.

Phil Jones showcases his versatility

Phil Jones started the game at central midfield alongside Michael Carrick and played there until the break. He was full of energy and running, and complemented Carrick really well. He was quick to break down attacks and broke forward with the ball, every time an opportunity presented itself. But an injury to Vidic meant that Jones had to go back to his familiar center half position and partner Jonny Evans in the second half.

And yet again, Phil Jones was outstanding and showed that he has what it takes to play in a multitude of positions, which certainly bodes well for Moyes. Many thought that the injury to Vidic might affect United in the second half, but thanks to a commanding performance from Jones and Chris Smalling, United emerged from this game, unscathed and managed to keep their first clean sheet at home since their victory over Crystal Palace in September.

Ozil, Ramsey and co. fail to turn up

The build up to the game was all about the attacking trio of Arsenal and how they would fare against United, in what was arguably their biggest test of the season so far. Unfortunately for Arsene Wenger, none of the three made any telling contributions. Ramsey, who had the Midas touch coming into this fixture, didn’t have the best of games and there was proof that he is human after all.

Ozil had one of his quiet games, as he misplaced a few passes and generally look a shadow of himself. It looked as though the occasion got to the German international, who did nothing to prove that he wasn’t a big game bottler, as some of his critics have pointed out. Giroud was frustrated and isolated up front and as a result, their attack lacked any cohesion. Perhaps, Arsenal had it coming and the absence of Mertesacker hurt them. And maybe, just maybe, it was just one of those days, when their attack, had an off day, something that can happen to even the very best.

It was a battle on the pitch and United emerged victorious with plenty of bruises

For the first time, in a very long time, the noise inside Old Trafford was deafening and the atmosphere lived up to the occasion. In the first big game against Chelsea, the atmosphere was flat. But against Arsenal, Old Trafford was a cauldron and that certainly made for an exciting spectacle.

In the first half, few would have expected the game to be as physical as it was, with tackles flying in. And by the end of the first half, both W Szczesny and Vidic were knocked out cold after unintentional collisions. Whilst the Arsenal goal keeper was able to carry on in the second half, Vidic wasn’t so lucky, as he was spitting blood and was rushed to the hospital. The game certainly lived up to its pre-match billing as an event, even if the contest was a pretty close call, with united barely just edging it, to close the gap on Arsenal and give Moyes just the boost he was looking for.

Are United back in the title race?

Manchester United came into this game knowing fully well that a victory would mean that they leap frog both Tottenham and City into fifth place, after both lost early in the day. On the other hand, defeat would have meant disaster for United, as they would have then been 11 points behind the league leaders with just too many teams in between. Thankfully for United, David Moyes got his biggest win as United manager, as his side managed to edge out Arsenal 1-0 at home.

Victory means that United have now won three league games in a row and are now unbeaten in their last nine games in all competitions. They are slowly, but surely kicking into gear and are beginning to grind out victories. Moyes will head into the international break, quietly satisfied with his side and will be hoping that once they return, they will do so with renewed vigour and a desire to close the gap on Arsenal and inch ever so closer to their 21st League title.