Total Football
Fellaini ruins Wenger’s party in ‘Fergie time’
There was a surprise present for Arsene Wenger before kick-off. But, once again, it was Arsenal who handed out the gifts as they contributed to this loss with some inevitably weak and brittle defending.
“That shows that once you are not a danger any more people love you,” Wenger joked after the game about the warm reception he received on his final trip to Old Trafford as Arsenal manager. But it was a serious point, also, given his side’s decline from their once battlehardened heights under him.
The present was a silver vase (a final trophy?), given to Wenger by his old adversary turned friend Sir Alex Ferguson, but it may as well have been a carriage clock as Manchester United won in “Fergie time” with a header by substitute Marouane Fellaini.
Not that this colourless encounter had anything of the clashes of old. It was not Keane v Vieira, not Van Nistelrooy v Keown or even the “Battle of the Buffet”. It was slim pickings, devoid of the epic storylines and sub-plots and titanic struggles that have preceded it over the 22 years Wenger has brought Arsenal to combat in this stadium.
The 68-year-old did so here for the 28th and final time and was curiously subdued, barely moving from his dug-out after being smothered with kindness by first Ferguson, then Jose Mourinho, his one-time bitter enemy, who also hugged him, while the United fans applauded before kick-off and before the second half started as he walked down the touchline.
There was also an embrace for Alexis Sanchez, who had forced his way out of Arsenal in January to join United.
The only concern for Mourinho, who confirmed Champions League qualification with this win, was a foot injury to Romelu Lukaku. The striker immediately asked to go off and there were worries that he may even be out for the FA Cup final.
At the final whistle this result meant that Arsenal are still the only team in the four English divisions not to collect a point away from home in 2018 and are on their worst away run since 1966, having lost six successive away league games.
With 57 points and just 12 to play for, Arsenal are in danger of recording their worst points total under Wenger (previously 67) and lowest finish (sixth).
Of course, their priority lies elsewhere right now, with the second leg of their Europa League semifinal at Atletico Madrid to come on Thursday, after the 1-1 draw last week, and Wenger understandably made eight changes to his team, including handing a league debut to Konstantinos Mavropanos.
The Greek defender therefore became the 200th Arsenal player to be given his opportunity by Wenger and, at 20, was part of the youngest team the manager has fielded in the league since the 8-2 drubbing he suffered at this stadium in 2011.
There were fears of a re-run of that rout with their weak early defending. That was summed up by the contribution of Granit Xhaka, captain on the day, who was dreadful for 45 minutes, and not least with his half-hearted role in United’s goal, which was instigated as Reiss Nelson lost possession just inside the United half.
As he and his team-mates appealed for a foul by Antonio Valencia, Paul Pogba surged forward, evading a foolish lunge by Xhaka, before sending the ball out wide to Lukaku, who picked out Sanchez with an inswinging cross.
Unmarked, Sanchez’s diving header was diverted on to a post by Hector Bellerin, only for the ball to rebound to Pogba, who volleyed it home. Xhaka was standing behind Pogba fiddling with his sock.
“Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay,” the United fans sang, which brought the response: “Arsene Wenger, he won the league here,” in reference to Arsenal’s Double triumph back in 2002, but there was no real bile, bite or intensity. In fact, it felt more like a pre-season friendly, or a testimonial. This was little more than a stop on Wenger’s farewell tour and there was barely a ripple – when there would have been rage – as the impressive Ainsley Maitland-niles went over under Sanchez’s challenge and no penalty was given.
Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan shot wide, Pierre-emerick Aubameyang and Nelson wasted headers while, for United, an Ashley Young cross swirled and struck the near post. And that was it for the first half.
After it, United dished out an onfield gift of their own as Xhaka stepped up his game and stole away possession from Nemanja Matic to feed Mkhitaryan, who ran on and drove a low shot between the legs of Victor Lindelof to beat the unsighted David de Gea. The former United forward had drawn Arsenal level and it was in keeping with the day that he did not celebrate.
A draw seemed certain. Yes, United pushed on, and Mourinho ran through the substitutes with Fellaini thrown on as he went unashamedly more direct.
It seemed the midfielder had set up the winning goal when his header came back off a post and Marcus Rashford prodded it home, but his fellow substitute was rightly pulled up for offside.
That proved to be a warning Arsenal did not heed as one final cross came in from Young and Fellaini rose to nod it past David Ospina. That the ball came off the back off Fellaini’s head, that he was surrounded by three Arsenal players, including, of course, Xhaka, and that it came in the dying seconds summed it all up.
With that there was one last twist, with Wenger confirming that he would be having a glass of postmatch red wine with Ferguson. He really is on his way.