Many didn’t expect to see an Arsenal-Man United match like that for a few years. Eight players booked and end-to-end action.

It says an awful lot about the quality of Arsenal’s performance that many Gooners are disappointed with a 1-1 draw, a point more than most expected to take from the game.

On the ropes

The first forty minutes were like nothing I’ve seen from Arsenal for a long while. Pressing, quick passing and a physicality that straddled the line between firm and nasty, to great effect. United were rattled, and the four bookings they picked up testified to this.

Walcott got a much-needed goal, but United did well to avoid any more breaches of their backline. Which Arsenal certainly deserved.

Unfortunately, in a scenario that we’ve seen too often this season, an individual error let us down. It wasn’t a Thomas Vermaelen-under-pressure style error, it was a genuine goof, so to speak. Sagna could have made up for his poor pass, but sadly didn’t. The Frenchman seems to lack enthusiasm these days, and a move back to France seems imminent.

A sadly inauspicious end to an excellent Arsenal career.

Winded

Van Persie’s penalty deflated Arsenal massively. The rest of the team hadn’t done anything to deserve conceding a goal, yet here they were. United threatened to take control but, like Arsenal, lacked the ability to make them pay. As the game went on, Arsenal settled into a vaguely threatening form of domination, where any ventures into the 18 yard box ended in a misplaced pass, an overhit cross, or a blocked shot.

You couldn’t even say it was a game Arsenal would have won with Van Persie in the side, because there were no clear-cut chances of any kind, really. Genuinely none. United aren’t at their best these days, but their defending is still excellent.

Standouts

The obvious one is the man who received a standing ovation today: Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman continued his quiet domination of the midfield that he’s practised over the last few months, with no indication that the calibre of opposition had changed. His bursts forward and robust challenges typified Arsenal’s early performance, and he continued to impress even when the pressure dropped. He was ultimately sacrificed for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, which while understandable, was a touch unfair considering his performance.

Laurent Koscielny also deserves massive credit. Van Persie was in his pocket all game, his trademark movement being rendered useless by Koscielny’s close attention. Every time United played a difficult cross into the box I winced, but if Koscielny keeps playing like this I may no longer need to worry.

Further up there was little to say. Cazorla buzzed around to little effect, while Walcott and Podolski were oddly static. Gervinho attempted to add energy to proceedings but saw little of the ball.

The result leaves me a little relieved and a little disappointed. Relieved because the hardest game of the run-in is over, with a point gained, but disappointed because in all honesty Arsenal were the better team and perhaps deserved to win.

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