FA Cup Sixth Round, Old Trafford – Manchester United 1 (Rooney 29′) Arsenal 2 (Monreal 25′ Welbeck 61′)
Arsenal claimed a deserved 2-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford with United old boy Danny Welbeck scoring the winner.
But the match was marred by controversy as United winger Angel di Maria was sent off with just over ten minutes left. The Argentine was booked first for diving, and then for grabbing referee Michael Oliver’s shirt as he protested that decision.
An eventful first half saw both teams exploit the defensive weaknesses that have been seen in each side throughout the season. Arsenal scored first when United left their left side exposed, allowing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain the chance to finish a smart run inside to set up Nacho Monreal, who finished inside the near post.
United equalised minutes later when Angel Di Maria hit a fabulous inswinging corner from the right wing for Wayne Rooney to head past Wojciech Szczesny.
In the second half, Arsenal grabbed their second when Antonio Valencia’s witless backpass was intercepted by Welbeck, who rounded David De Gea to slot into an empty net.
Di Maria then managed to get himself sent off, first booked for diving, and then another for grabbing hold of Michael Oliver to dispute the point.
When asked to explain his deadline-day sale of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal explained that he thought the then-23-year-old was only good enough to make the Red Devils’ bench. The fact Welbeck had gone on a scoring tear since leaving Old Trafford did not cause the Dutchman to change his opinion one bit.
“I have already said what I think – he was not a line-up player, he was more a substitute than a line-up player,” Van Gaal said of Welbeck, who grew up supporting United and worked his way through its youth ranks to become a fixture on the senior team.
It is ironic that the same Welbeck returned to Old Trafford on Monday and delivered the blow that knocked Man United out of the FA Cup in a 2-1 Arsenal victory.
To add insult, Antonio Valencia’s poor back pass to goalkeeper David De Gea placed Welbeck’s opportunity for revenge on a platter as De Gea found himself in no man’s land scurrying to beat the oncoming Welbeck to the ball. De Gea whiffed at knocking the ball away and Welbeck had the easiest tap-in goal of his life to make it 2-1 Gunners in the 61st minute.
In his postmatch interview, Welbeck was asked about his celebration against his old club.
“Did I?” Welbeck said. “I think basically once the emotion takes over it’s kind of difficult to keep it in. But obviously I try to be respectful as well because this is a club that’s meant so much to me and still does. I’m a Man United fan. It’s quite hard to knock them out of the Cup.”
With the victory, Arsenal will play the winner of the Bradford-Reading quarterfinal in the semifinals at Wembley.
KEY EVENTS
20′ – YOUNG SHOT – Fellaini brings down a high ball in the box, lays it off to Young as he strides into the box, and he slips, stretching for the ball and sending it over.
25′ – GOAL! Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal. Monreal scores – Ozil has space, finds Oxlade-Chamberlain on the right of the box. He stands up well to challenges, fights his way to pass inside the box for Monreal’s run into the box, and he clips a shot just inside the near post.
29′ – GOAL! Manchester United 1-1 Arsenal. Rooney scores – United attack down the right. The ball is worked to Di Maria on the wing. He come onto his left and whips in a great cross that Rooney dives towards to head past Szczesny.
30′ – PENALTY APPEAL – Ozil lifts the ball over the top for Welbeck, and he goes down under pressure. The referee gives nothing, but Welbeck is hacked off.
43′ – SZCZESNY SAVE – Valencia lifts a brilliant ball over the top for Di Maria who brings it down only to slam a shot from a tight angle straight at Szczesny.
61′ – DI MARIA SHOT – Young was booked for that challenge, by the way. Fellaini taps a ball into the path of Di Maria, who strikes a shot at goal just wide of goal from outside the box.
61′ – GOAL! Manchester United 1-2 Arsenal. Welbeck scores – A terrible back pass from Valencia is there for Welbeck to seize. He rounds De Gea and finishes into an empty net.
74′ – DE GEA SAVE – Giroud lifts a cross to Cazorla, and De Gea pulls off a great save to claw it away.
76′ – DI MARIA RED – Di Maria is booked for diving after being lightly, ever so lightly, brushed by Ramsey. Right, it’s actually a second yellow. He grabbed the ref to dispute the point, and got himself booked again within 20 seconds.
90+4′ – DE GEA SAVE – Ozil and Sanchez play a one-two into the box, and Sanchez takes the ball too wide, and his shot is deflected just wide of the post after a great De Gea save.
KEYS STATS
The Gunners and the Red Devils have been drawn together 14 times in the FA Cup with Arsenal winning seven (one on a penalty shoot out) and Man Utd seven.
Wayne Rooney has scored more goals against Arsenal than any other player in Premier League history (11) and has found the net in all four of his FA Cup appearances against Arsenal (in the 2005 shoot out and in normal play in the last two ties).
There have been red cards in five of the last eight FA Cup meetings between Arsenal and Man Utd.
Wayne Rooney has scored eight goals in his last nine FA Cup matches.
This was Arsenal’s first victory at Old Trafford in 11 attempts.
eurosport/ yahoo Fc
