Wenger’s Gunners prove a point
LONDON: OK Arsene, point taken.
Arsenal have toughened up a bit, ridden their luck, nicked a draw from the Theatre of Dreams.
Arsenal, the new Arsenal, will not be bullied any more.
Not by Jose Mourinho, not by Manchester United That is their message, that is their mantra. The old Arsenal, the one that have not won an English Premier League title since way back in 2004, would have buckled.
Given the way United played – brisk, bright and bushy-tailed – they should have done.
But they eeked out a point, scratched out United’s eyes with an 89th-minute equaliser.
It may be decisive, if Arsenal really are serious about claiming their first title in 13 years. Olivier Giroud got it, rising into the air at Old Trafford to direct a header beyond David De Gea.
It was a big goal from the big man. He had been sent on in desperation to join Alexis Sanchez for the last 17 minutes.
It felt like a very, very long 17 minutes.
United were in front, dogging out a 1-0 win that would have suited Mourinho and sent the fans home happy with a first league home win since beating Leicester 4-1 in late September.
They were on top throughout, with Juan Mata drilling Mourinho’s side into a deserved lead after 69 minutes. Nobody really fancied Arsenal to get back in to it.
They were sluggish, off the pace, as Mata dictated the tempo from out on the right.
It was fitting he put United in front. Arsenal were sliced apart, with Paul Pogba feeding Ander Herrera out on the right.
His cut-back set up nicely for Mata on the edge of the area and he finished the move with a classy left-foot finish. At that point, Arsenal were preparing for some familiar, uncomfortable truths. They do not fancy it. Soft under-belly. Reminders of Wenger’s appalling league record against Mourinho. He still has yet to beat him. But this felt like a win. Before Giroud’s leveller, the old Mourinho magic appeared to have returned. Wenger’s side never got going, not in a way that has had the nation fawning over their sweet, one-touch football. Mesut Ozil, save for his blink-and-you-missit first-half nutmeg on Herrera, was anonymous. Sanchez is a different story. For a player to arrive back from international duty in South America on Thursday night, train on Friday and travel to Manchester that day, is asking too much.
Arsenal rely on him but we cannot expect players of his pedigree to perform at their best if they do not get recovery time.
It was a fighter’s point for the visitors. Not one for the purists.
Arsenal had been battered. Instead, United are left with a bloody nose.
Mourinho’s side felt they should have had a first-half penalty when Nacho Monreal tangled with Antonio Valencia.
United’s fullback nutmegged Monreal and went down. Valencia demanded a penalty. Monreal called for a booking for diving.
Wenger said: “My view was it was not a penalty. You won’t be surprised by that.
“Mourinho’s view is that it was a penalty and you will not be surprised by that.”
The Special One has seen enough replays to be convinced that it should have been given.
When Mata put them ahead United should have had enough to shut up shop.
Instead, they let Arsenal make their point. — The Sun, London