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| Rooney Celebrates His Goal |
The win sees United enter the hat for the Semifinal draw of this historic competition, which will be played at Wembley Stadium in a few weeks time.
Before the matches everyone likes to try to weigh in with their line-up predictions, but nobody in their right mind could have predicted Sir Alex Ferguson's starting XI, as the boss chose seven regular defenders - not including Edwin van der Sar.
After witnessing his team being picked apart by opposing midfield runs in the last couple of matches, Ferguson decided to go with a capable back-four consisting of Wes Brown, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra, however, the lack of steel in the center of the midfield led to the Gaffer shifting John O'Shea to partner Darron Gibson.
With Nani, Ji-Sung Park and Antonio Valencia, who was named to substitutes bench, all on the mend from their respective injuries, the Gaffer had little choice but to move the Da Silva twins to operate in more advanced positions down the the right and left flanks, but they should also add more stability to the shaky, vulnerable United defense.
Recap
The match got underway with the Reds on the front foot, and it was down the right-hand side that they were troubling the Gunners.
Two minutes later it was Arsenal's turn to attack and it was a one man attack.
Andrei Arshavin skipped passed both Brown and Smalling and it took Vidic to put him off and prevent him from getting anything on his shot that van der Sar did well to hold on to.
After Evra gave the ball away, it invited another Arsenal attack down their right, but Samir Nasri's tantalizing, driven cross missed the runs of his teammates.
Trying to replicate his goal from August of 2009, Arshavin decided to have a shot from distance, but it lack the pace and power it had back then - and it would have been better dealt with since it was van der Sar and not Ben Foster.
Ferguson's formation started turned into a 4-1-3-2 with O'Shea shepherding the runs of the opposing Arsenal midfielders, Jack Wilshere in particular, with Gibson and the twins playing behind Wayne Rooney and Chicharito.
In the 15th minute, United should have really been in front, and it was that midfield three that orchestrated the chance.
Gibson eluded three different markers in the center of the park and played the ball to Fabio on the edge of the area, and he supplied a teasing cross to his brother, but Rafael wasted the chance as he headed over from close range.
In the 20th minute, the wind seemed to be drifting out of the United sails as they became more reliant on long, high searching passes instead of passing around the Arsenal midfielders.
Arsenal became more authoritative in possession, and it ended with a bending effort from their captain, Robin van Persie, but van der Sar was more than capable to handle his fellow countryman's shot.
In the 27th minute, United got their noses in front and it was a wonderfully constructed attack.
A driven ball from Fabio picked out on the opposite flank Rafael, and with his marker tight to him, he spun and played it back to the center of the pitch, and Rooney eventually collected the ball and stroked a perfectly weighted pass over an to Hernandez, and the Mexican generated a header that Manuel Almunia did well to palm away, but the originator of the movement was the quickest to react and skidded the ball into the Arsenal net.
Arsenal almost level the score in the 33rd minute with two chances from van Persie.
The Gunners' captain did well to squirm passed Vidic, and on his weaker foot, his shot was destined for the far corner, but, thankfully, van der Sar got the slightest of touches on it to bend it around his right-hand post and out for a corner kick.
However, the danger for United was not over as Nasri's corner was met by a venomous header by van Persie, but his initial run, which Brown failed to track, took him outside of the near post caused his header rattle the stanchion rather than buckle the net.
For the next 10-plus minutes the teams traded attacks, but there were no clear goal scoring opportunities because of disciplinced defending by each.
However, in the 45th minute, Nasri popped up on the Arsenal left, and he finagled his way inside the United box before he got off his shot, and it took a very good instinctive save from van der Sar to deny his goal bound effort.
Chris Foy's halftime whistle came, and besides United's well worked goal, there was very little difference between these two rivals, and knowing that Arsenal needs to score remain in the FA Cup, the second half should really be end-to-end.
To start the second half, Sir Alex made his first change of the match with long-awaited return of Valencia, who received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd, for the goal scorer, Fabio.
As promised, it was enthralling start to the half.
Wilshere made a driving run into the United area which was expertly cut out by Smalling, and it triggered a counterattack by the Reds, which was defend well by Arsenal.
Arsenal then went on another run, which was spearheaded by Laurent Koscielny, and it required a double-save by van der Sar.
First, Koscielny was dispossessed by Brown, and when doing so, the United defender inadvertently sent it on the United frame, which van der Sar cleared away with his feet.
The ball squirted out into a dangerous position, Koscielny shot was expertly saved - again - by van der Sar as the off-balanced goalkeeper palmed the shot out for a corner kick.
Arsenal was punished for not converting one of those chances after another counterattack exposed them.
Rafael drove down the right and sent a cross into Hernandez, which Djourou did well to put him off, but it popped up for Rooney, and he coolly headed the ball into the far corner from a tight angle.
To their credit, the goal did not deflate Arsenal, but the visitors had a huge task of coming from two goals down to just force a replay, which, due to congested fixture lists for both teams, it would be played on Friday at the Emirates.
In the 57th minute, Arsenal put United under pressure, and it led to a scuffed shot from Nasri, which van der Sar was fully focused on keeping out and claiming.
Following an arrant shot by Abou Diaby, and his side in desperate need of a goal, Arsene Wenger decided upon making his first change of the match bringing on Marouane Chamakh for Denilson.
A cheap challenge by O'Shea on van Persie gifted Arsenal a free-kick within 25-yards from goal, which was taken by the Gunners' captain, but it failed to get passed the well constructed United wall.
Moments later, van Persie whipped in a curling effort that whistled just over the junction of van der Sar's right-hand crossbar and post.
With the stoppage in play, Ryan Giggs replaced Rafael, and it led to numerous chances for United to score.
With Arsenal hanging on by a thread, Hernandez and Giggs wasted two chances to put the goal to bed
Their inability to test Alumunia, led to Arsenal to break forward down their left, but, thankfully, Chamakh's effort lack power and pace, which allowed van der Sar to get down easily and claim the shot.
In the 69th minute, Rooney received the ball over the top of the Arsenal defense, and when he attempted to pick out Chicharito in the center of the box, it took a telling deflection off of Djourou, which saw it ripple the side netting of Almunia's goal.
Wilshere sent a ball over the top of the United defense, which was met by Chamakh and his header clipped the wrong side of van der Sar's crossbar.
Wenger decided to make a double substitution bringing on Aaron Ramsey, who like Valencia, broke his finally making his return the Arsenal first team, and Tomas Rosicky for Diaby and Arshavin, respectively.
Moments after the substitutions took place, Wilshere played a neat one-two-one with van Persie, but he could not get his balance right, and his left-footed shot screamed wide of van der Sar's near post.
How Arsenal did not scored in the 76th minute was strictly down to the genius of van der Sar as he poked away Chamakh's unmarked header from within six yards.
No United defender closed down Rosicky, and the Arsenal midfielder stroke a fierce drive that van der Sar could only parry, and Evra mopped up the chance with Chamakh lurking.
A quick, a three-man counterattack by United ripped Arsenal shreds, but Almunia, on his back, amazingly palmed away Hernandez's effort that came off an Arsenal defender.
It came at a cost as Djourou was forced to come off after a collision with Bacary Sagna.
With the medics attending to the Arsenal defender's shoulder, Ferguson decided to make his final substitution with Paul Scholes coming on for Evra, which shifted O'Shea back to left-back.
After using all of his substitutes prior to the unfortunate injury, which took about five minutes to stabilize Djourou's shoulder, Wenger saw his team forced to play the last 10 minutes with 10 men.
Following the announcement of eight minutes of stoppage time to be played, Rooney drove a shot straight down Almunia's throat, but the Arsenal goalkeeper did well to hold the effort.
An expertly placed pass from Scholes saw Rooney outrace his marker, but he mishit left-footed shot and the golden chance was wasted.
After showing a moment of genius, Scholes showed his dark side as he slid straight through Chamakh, but the referee decided against punishing his hard tackle.
From the ensuing free-kick Sagna, ripped down the right and pumped in a great cross to Rosicky, but somehow he completely missed the ball.
Following a couple of tasty tackles by the Ginger Prince, saw Scholes and Nasri traded shoves, which saw Chris Foy act with common sense to not book either player.
United hit Arsenal with another counterattack, but a terrific double save by Almunia on Hernandez saw the scoreline remain respectable.
Matchball
Because of the positive way they play, Arsenal are always going to get chances to score, and Edwin van der Sar was up to the challenge.
Ratings
E. van der Sar - 9; W. Brown - 6, C. Smalling - 6, N. Vidic - 7, P. Evra - 6 (P. Scholes - 6); Rafael - 7 (R. Giggs - 6), J. O'Shea - 7, D. Gibson - 6, Fabio - 7 (A. Valencia - 7); W. Rooney - 7, J. Hernandez - 6
Goals
Fabio (28'), W. Rooney (49')
Statistics
Possession: 46%
Corners: 4
Shots (On Target): 11 (6)
Fouls Conceded (Suffered): 6 (4)
Bookings: P. Scholes
Attendance: TBD
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