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Manchester United’s 1-0 victory against Arsenal, the perfect score line for the Red Devils?

It was Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson’s wish to keep Arsenal from scoring and beat them by a lone goal to nil at Old Trafford on Wednesday, and the pair got what they wanted.

John O’Shea’s 17th minute strike from inside the penalty area secured the victory for the European defending champions but how vital will this goal be?

Manchester United dominated the field right from the start of the game, with Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and Cristiano Ronaldo forcing Arsenal’s midfield and the Red Devils’ ability to play their game of football came very much at Ferguson’s delight.

"I was pleased with the performance, the level of passing and movement was very, very good and we played at a high tempo," the manager told Sky Sports.

Cristiano Ronaldo came very close to doubling the lead with a bullet header from close range. Had it not been because of Manuel Almunia’s sharpness in post, the Gunners would have suffered an emphatic loss.

The Portuguese winger also tried his luck in the second half with a long range effort that beat Arsenal’s keeper this time, but the ball could only hit the post; it might have been the goal of the tournament if Ronaldo had got it right. Substitute Ryan Giggs also thought he had scored but the referee ruled out his goal for offside. Manchester United were always threatening as they rolled the ball with confidence midway through Arsenal’s half. A repeat of such a performance may surely be enough to see them through to the final once again however, their inability to convert chances into goals could also come at their own sorrows.

"They can have regrets because they did not score a second goal," Alex Ferguson’s rival Arsene Wenger stated.
"It is down to us to make sure they regret they didn’t.”

Despite losing to defending champions Manchester United in front of a 74,733 capacity crowd, Arsene Wenger remains positive about his side’s progression to the final round.

“The return leg will be a good opportunity to show our character and mental strength.

"I am confident that you will see our strength of character — and next Tuesday I can talk about it in the press conference after the game,” Wenger told The Sun.

"It will be our biggest win over United if we do it because there is a final at stake.

"And when we play at home and know that there is a final at stake we will be up for it.

"We will be up for it next Tuesday and I am confident we can do it. I believe we will be on top," the French man concluded.

On one hand, it might seem that Manchester United have one foot in the final already, especially because even a 2-1 defeat at the Emirates will do for them to qualify for the Champions League final. However, if one may boast about Manchester United’s respectful record against the Gunners, the fact that the Red Devils can suffer emphatic defeats like the 4-1 hammering to Liverpool or the 2-0 loss to Fulham remains a reality.

Goal hero John O’Shea warns his side from boasting of Wednesday’s 1-0 victory against Arsenal:

"We have a lead, we’ve kept a clean sheet and we know we’re capable of scoring an away goal at the Emirates. But the tie's definitely not over."

The Red Devils may have broken the odds once again by handing Arsenal their first European first leg semifinal defeat, but have they got enough fire in their belly to burn the rope that still separates them from the final zone?

Arsenal are surely not dead yet…

Written by: Angela Asante

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