Sunday's defeat was Arsenal's first in the league since they lost to Leeds at Highbury in May, 2003.
Referees are like gods in football. I thought cricket had a major chink in its armor with flawed umpires. Looks like football is nowhere non-synonymous. Mike Riley seemed to have everything baneful in store for Arsenal. He behaved like he had to shed some of his yellow cards in his inventory. Very reluctant till somewhere near the end of first half, where Ferdinand must have been issued one for his brutal Freddie push, there were some erratic decisions from the referee. One of those days Sol Campbell would never forget in his life, he was made the scapegoat. I believe that foul was never worth awarding a penalty. Cole must be very frustrated after this one.
Agnus MacKinnon, Espnstar.com: Regardless of whether the penalty was justified or not, it did offer van Nistelrooy the opportunity to exact his revenge for the way he was jostled and taunted by the Arsenal players after missing a penalty in the goalless draw between the two sides in last season's corresponding fixture.
On that occasion, the Dutch striker lifted his shot over the bar and his miss proved the catalyst for a post-match fracas. This time round he coolly sent Jens Lehmann the wrong way and there was no way back for Arsenal.
Lehmann (Raj calls him Superman) did a great job until the bolt from blue struck him in the form of an unexpected penalty stopping job. Nistelrooy stuck to his basics, flicked the ball into exactly the opposite direction. The next goal by Rooney was the effect of last quarter hour pressure on Arsenal.
Agnus MacKinnon, Espnstar.com: Rooney raised the biggest cheer Old Trafford has heard for a long time by tapping home his first Premiership goal for the club in stoppage time after substitutes Louis Saha and Alan Smith combined on the right.
With a proper pass from Scholes and timing as right as it could get, all Rooney had to do was to make proper contact and placement, with him so close to the goal.All in all, the first half of the match was drab, but there were dramatic twists in the second. I wish Arsenal won the match to make that magic 50, as the adage goes Man proposes, God disposes
