Teams
Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Bould, Adams, Winterburn, Jensen, Morrow, McGoldrick, Carter, Wright, Smith Subs: Dickov (Carter h-t), Keown (Jensen 68), Bartram
Man Utd: Walsh, Neville, May, Pallister, Irwin, Kanchelskis, McClair, Ince, Gillespie, Cantona, Hughes Subs: Butt (Kanchelskis 56), Davies (Gillespie 72),Pilkington
Bookings: McGoldrick, Dickov Gillespie, Hughes, Ince, Butt Sent off: Hughes
Att : 38301 Referee : K Morton (Bury St Edmunds)
Well, maybe the UK based supporters viewed this match in a different context, because I too thought this was quite a good performance from Arsenal. It was certainly a vast improvement on last Wednesday, and given that we were playing the champions and league leaders it was quite creditable to restrict them to the odd minor threat. In fact I thought Arsenal did enough to have deserved a win by the odd goal.
Admittedly the match was dominated by the strong defences, so for the neutral I can understand that it may not have been a vastly thrilling game. However, in the first half and for some of the second, Arsenal played quite well, pushing the ball around reasonably competently, and getting it wide to Carter and McGoldrick quite often.
The first chance I can recall came when Wright and Ince contested a 50-50 ball in a crunching collision which Wrighty won convincingly and then fired in a 25 yard shot with his left foot which cleared the bar by a couple of feet. Not long afterwards Walsh made a complete hash of a risky backpass and hit it straight to Wright about 10 yards out. Unfortunately it came at him too quickly and I think he instinctively tried to control it and the ball rebounded back into the grateful keeper's arms.
Then came possibly the best chance of the half. In a nice move, Wright first swept the ball out to McGoldrick on the right. His cross was possibly overhit but nevertheless fell to Carter beyond the far post. He lob-volleyed it back into the middle, Walsh flapped at it and it fell to Smith. Unfortunately it didn't bounce kindly and his hooked volley also cleared the bar.
Steve Bould popped up unmarked after a corner had been half cleared and then played back in, but he dragged his shot from the right hand corner of the area wide of the far post. Arsenal again came close to scoring with a nicely worked free kick just outside the area. With the United defence probably expecting a shot, Winterburn instead played it in to Smith who flicked it on beautifully into Wright's path. It wouldn't quite drop for him and a defender was able to effect a good clearance.
At the other end United had only really threatened with a long shot from Hughes which Seaman saved well, before their best chance was created towards the end of the half. In a quick break Hughes freed Kanchelskis down the right, and he played the ball in to McClair about 10 yards out. Fortunately Dixon had got across to block his attempt and the ball bounced safely into Seaman's arms.
In the first part of the second half, Arsenal again dominated. Dickov, on at half time for the presumably injured Carter, stretched Walsh with a shot from the edge of the box which the keeper pushed round the post. Wright came close to scoring with a beautifully struck volley after a Dixon cross had been weakly headed out. Unfortunately it deflected off a defender and wide of the post.
Then came the best chance of the game. McGoldrick did well to get to the byline down the right and produce a deep cross to the far post where Smith rose well to nod it back. Wright mishit his volley slightly, but still beat the keeper only for it to hit Pallister on the line. At the time, and from the other end I didn't think of a handball, but after the match a mate questioned whether it was, and the TV evidence seemed inconclusive.
Hughes missed probably United's best chance when Cantona nodded back a long ball to him on the edge of the box. His attempted volley sliced off the outside of his right shin. Mid way through the first half Jensen had a chance with a shot from the edge of the box, but with Ince launching a vicious two-footed lunge at him the shot went comfortably into the keeper's arms. Having just been booked for a similar assault on Dickov, Ince was extremely lucky to stay on the pitch.
With Jensen having to be substituted by Keown, Arsenal then lost their way a bit and the pressure on United's defence eased somewhat. Even when Hughes was sent off for a second bookable offence - a rash lunge at Morrow - Arsenal couldn't press home their advantage. Ironically the free kick went United's way because Wright had initially baulked Hughes.
All in all I thought it was quite a satisfactory performance by the Gunners, though it was disappointing not to have won. Everybody had reasonable games, the pick for me being Adams, Winterburn who subdued Kanchelskis well, Jensen and Wright. Strangely Schwarz seems to have been 'rested' by Graham, so it was an unexpected midfield which did quite well for most of the match.
The press and TV seem to have focussed on the physical nature of the game which surprised me somewhat. At the time it didn't seem to me that it had been an overly violent affair, though looking back some of the tackles were perhaps a bit vigorous, though that seems to have been the nature of games between these two sides in recent years.
Still, the depression which had set in over the latter part of last week was lifted a little bit. And you never know, maybe we'll see a scintillating display on Wednesday to see off the threat of Sheffield Wednesday in the Coca Cola (I'll resist the temptation to call it the Coke) Cup.
Report by Derek Brownjohn
Adams returned to defence at the expense of Keown, and a curious midfield of Carter, McGolrdick, Morrow and Jensen. Smith returned up front to give us some hope on those crosses. Most of the pressure was by us, though scoring chances were few and dar between. Wright dispossed Ince about thirty yards out and crashed a shot just over the bar. Walsh, who looked incapable of kicking the ball nearly gave away a goal after his duff clearance went straight to Wright in the penalty area. He however could not control the hardly hit clearance. Smith nearly got on the score sheet after Walsh spilled a cross but he managed to loft his effort over the bar. Seaman had to make one fine save against a largely subdued Man U side. As is traditional in this fixture there was the usual under current of violence. Gillespie was booked in the first minute for a bad challenge on Dixon, Bould escaped minutes later with a rather iffy looking challenge on Hughes. Hughes himself was booked for needlessly going in late on Jensen after the referee had failed to award him a free kick moments early. Carter was put out the game with a strong whack on the ankle but I can't remember who done it. Cantona strutted around looking rather bewildered at the haplessness of his team mates. In fairness the man did produce the odd touches of brilliance in this rather stale affair. The secondhald saw almost constant pressure with the odd United break away. Carter was replaced by Dickov at half time. Many a corner were beaten away though they hardly looked threatening. The best chance came when SMith knocked back a cross to Wright whose shot from six yards out was gottten off the line by Pallister. Ince was booked for a vicious tackle on Dickov who in turn was booked for a scrap with Gillespie. In fact DIckov was lucky to stay on after a two footed challenge. Still we seemed to be getting more and more on top. Then the moment that changed the game for me. Jensen had a reasonably fine shot that was easily saved but Ince going in high and late put Jensen out of the game. Somehow he managed to avoid getting sent off. Keown came on as a replacement but the game pretty well pettered out with Man U looking happy with a draw and us looking unlikely to score with just Morrow in midfield. Hughes was sent off after to trying to put the final member or our midfield out of the game. For some unknown reason they didn't pick on McGoldrick. Eddie actaully had one of his better games but was hardly impressive. Both defences played well with Adams exceptional as ever. I suppose both teams were happy with a draw but this was no classic.
Report by Trevor Collins