Published: 10 November, 2013
by RICHARD OSLEY

Premier League
MANCHESTER UNITED 1, ARSENAL  0

FOR once, Manchester United versus Arsenal was a match that the home side, rather than the visitors, could not afford to lose. Usually, the Gunners head to Old Trafford so many points behind the hosts that they are more familiarly in need of a rabbit-out-of-the-hat magic trick to save their season. Yesterday, it was United who, after a low key start to their title defence, were doing the season-saving in a messy match decided by a set-piece goal.

Neither side were impressive. Neither showed too much to worry the other title contenders, although working out who just exactly are the favourites to lift the Premier League trophy is becoming a dicey task with defeats for Manchester City and Spurs too yesterday. The defeats also followed Chelsea's fortuitous last gasp point at home to West Brom. If there was a weekend to lose at United for Arsenal, this might have been the one they would pick. For another weekend, the Gunners had enough credit to ensure they were still top even after defeat.

That said, United could have been detached from the leading pack had Arsenal managed to summon a win to follow victories against Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund. A hat-trick of successes in this toughest week of the season so far for the Gunners was always going to prove difficult and manager Arsene Wenger said, after his old charge Robin Van Persie had won the match for United, that he believed the weight of past beatings on United's turf is still a hurdle that needs overcoming.

"Maybe the fact we haven't won for a long time here and it was a big made us nervous," he said, "We were just too nervous in the first half. We haven't won for a long time here now. Once again it is a tight game that has been decided on a set-piece."We were very, very, very close a few times. The heart was in the game, the desire was in there, but maybe a bit too much in the first half. We are quite strong on defending set-pieces and I was surprised we were caught on the near post. We had to give a lot this week – Liverpool, Dortmund and here today. I think a draw would have been a fair result."

Van Persie's goal was a textbook striker's header from a corner halfway through the first half, the Dutchman jumping highest against an Arsenal defence looking static as they perservere with zonal marking. Arsenal's best chances were largely half-chances, including Nicklas Bendtner's desperate lunge at a fizzy last minute cross across the six yard box. The Dane's appearance as a substitute was perhaps the biggest sign that the Gunners may not have the squad to turn their promising first third of the season into something more rewarding at the business end of the campaign.

Still, as the fans made their way back to London, however, the old cliche would have been repeated more than once: If you'd been offered the chance to lead the league halfway through November at the start of the season, you'd have snatched it, especially in Arsenal's case wherea uncertainty over transfers reigned throughout the summer. The trade-off would have been snapped up even more readily after the opening day defeat to Aston Villa, the only other time Arsenal have finished losers in the league this season.

Arsenal: Szczesny; Sagna, Kosciely, Vermaelen, Gibbs; Arteta (Gnabry, 83), Flamini (Wilshere, 61); Ramsey, Ozil, Cazorla (Bendtner, 78); Giroud. Subs not used: Monreal, Fabianski, Jenkinson, Hayden.

Manchester United: De Gea; Smalling, Evans, Vidic (Cleverley ht), Evra; Carrick, Jones; Valencia, Rooney, Kagawa (Giggs, 78); Van Persie (Fellaini, 85). Subs not used: Lindegaard, Hernandez, Nani, Januzaj.

Attendance: 75,138