UNITED 2-1 LEEDS
Guardian:
If, as Sir Alex Ferguson alleges, Arsenal are "overconfident" about their chances of retaining the Premiership title, Arsène Wenger's self-assurance should not blur his sense of caution. Though Manchester United produced a disjointed and scruffy display last night, the gap at the top of the Premiership has been trimmed to five points.
If, as Sir Alex Ferguson alleges, Arsenal are "overconfident" about their chances of retaining the Premiership title, Arsène Wenger's self-assurance should not blur his sense of caution. Though Manchester United produced a disjointed and scruffy display last night, the gap at the top of the Premiership has been trimmed to five points.
This was a reminder to Arsenal of United's durability. But although they threatened to overwhelm their opponents in the early exchanges, their late winner does little to support the suggestion that they can dethrone Wenger's team.
That was strange because, at the midway point, Old Trafford had been full of the expectation that this would be a chastening experience for Terry Venables' players. The attacking thrusts from David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Juan Sebastian Veron possessed width, guile and penetration, and a 20th-minute own-goal had eased the nervousness that comes from being involved in a game of catch-up.
Yet the home side never showed the same fluency after the interval and Mark Viduka's equaliser might have sneaked Leeds a draw had it not been for the bad marking that let in Silvestre.
Leeds began as though drained of confidence, scarcely venturing forward to test Keane's prowess as a centre-half or probe any failings in Rio Ferdinand that inside knowledge might allow them.
It is not only those Leeds fans embittered by Ferdinand's trans-Pennine switch who have begun to suspect the most expensive defender in the world is also the most overrated. Ferdinand has yet to exude the type of imposing presence displayed by his most celebrated predecessors but this was one of his more proficient displays, as if he was determined to excel against his former employers.
Around him, others in red wilted. Leeds showed far more self-belief after the interval, culminating in their best period of the match being rewarded just after the hour.
This was not a night when Wenger's confidence will have been affected too much.
Times:
If Sir Alex Ferguson’s caricature of Arsène Wenger is accurate, the Arsenal manager will have spent last night watching Dutch second division football on satellite television with a glass of champagne in his hand, oblivious to or ignorant of events at Old Trafford and the Riverside Stadium.
It may be no more than a fanciful vision on the part of the Manchester United manager — as may that of wrestling the Barclaycard Premiership title away from Highbury — but this scrappy victory for his team will at least have forced Wenger to sit up and take notice.
If Sir Alex Ferguson’s caricature of Arsène Wenger is accurate, the Arsenal manager will have spent last night watching Dutch second division football on satellite television with a glass of champagne in his hand, oblivious to or ignorant of events at Old Trafford and the Riverside Stadium.
It may be no more than a fanciful vision on the part of the Manchester United manager — as may that of wrestling the Barclaycard Premiership title away from Highbury — but this scrappy victory for his team will at least have forced Wenger to sit up and take notice.
It was an evening when a three-horse race looked like turning into a procession for Arsenal, but United, almost in spite of themselves, remain in contention.
This was winning ugly — something that appears to be beneath Arsenal — and at a heavy cost, with Roy Keane facing a four-week absence after suffering a hamstring injury.
The United manager is convinced that Arsenal’s triumphalism will get the better of them before the top two meet at Highbury in April but, on last night’s evidence, Ferguson’s team may lack the initiative to capitalise on any slip-up by the leaders.
As one of English football’s traditional grudge matches, the chilling atmosphere in the stands was all too predictable. Bouts of fighting between rival supporters broke out on several occasions and, in the wake of the ugly scenes at Monday night’s match between Aston Villa and Birmingham City, it was not what football needed.
Telegraph:
It may be the time of year for giving things up but Manchester United have clearly not forsaken the Premiership. A late winner from Mikael Silvestre salvaged all the points against a spirited but desperately depleted Leeds United, so keeping United within five points of leaders Arsenal.
When Lucas Radebe put through his own goal in the first half, the stage appeared set for a routine United victory against visitiors who had not prevailed here since 1981. But Mark Viduka's headed equaliser forced United to draw deep and they were grateful to Silvestre's late winner.
Such a driven individual as Ferguson is not given to sentiment so it was little surprise to find him dropping Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, deemed partly culpable for Sunday's calamity in Cardiff. Whispers also abound that a summer clear-out is planned with Giggs and even Fabien Barthez under threat.
Yet United need to tread carefully, partly because the palsied transfer market is unlikely to offer suitable alternatives. Without Giggs United lack real pace, certainly in comparison with Arsenal, and Viduka's 64th-minute headed equaliser last night prompted Ferguson to return to Giggs. Barthez, meanwhile, had shown his enduring class with a first-half save.
But Ferguson clearly cannot tolerate performances like the Worthington Cup final defeat, the memory of which was gleefully mentioned by the visiting Leeds fans who chanted "2-0 in your cup final" and "Liverpool, Liverpool". Traditional tensions between these trans-Pennine rivals spilled over at half-time with a stand-off between a knot of supporters.
Phil Neville, who had been introduced for the hobbling Veron, clearly brought down Smith to the right of Barthez's goal.
Few players swing in a better free-kick than Ian Harte and his curling dead-ball was met powerfully by Viduka, whose close-range header gave Barthez no chance. Yet the French keeper could be forgiven for wondering why none of his defenders had challenged the Australian.
Leeds' raucous celebrations, including a lively rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, subsided with 10 minutes remaining. Beckham's awareness of a situation's possibilities was swiftly in evidence as he clipped in a free-kick which Silvestre headed firmly past Robinson.
Sadly, among the home fans' songs of praise was a chant of "Istanbul, Istanbul". Two Leeds fans having been murdered in Turkey two years ago, it was inevitable that some of the Leeds congregation would respond to United's taunts; some attempted to fight their way through the police lines to get at the home fans.
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