Rossoneri disappoint, Red Devils dominate......

I was excited for being back from office by 19:30 yesterday and the last time I was able to sneak out by that time was few weeks back... in 2009. The last 2 weeks in particular, there was nothing going right my way and left me frustrated. Even the team I support played miserably last week as Milan crashed out 0-2 to their city rivals Inter which looked like a bunch of pensioners rolled into a team. So when I was in time to catch them play Livorno yesterday I was expecting them to maraud the minnows but they were determined not to play like the giants "MILAN" is supposed to play. Livorno played well within their limitations to travel back happy gaining a point, keeping them out of the relegation zone. This was not a result that would have blocked my spirits spiralling down further and I concluded cheering myself up was probably in a distant future.

This was followed by the clash of titans, Arsenal vs. Manchester Utd. at the Emirates stadium, mother of all pitch rivalries in BPL. The build up to the match was pretty huge considering the stake and it was an unusual silence from the northern rivals. A statement from Arsene Wenger ridiculing Rooney’s talents and boasting of his youthful side, Denilson’s comments on how they weren’t boys anymore but men and need to prove Patrice Evra wrong. It was a perfect recipe for a blockbuster movie and it did live up to the billing. What a match it was-> Speed and Youth pitted against Experience and Guile. 90 minutes of pure, fast paced, fire cracker contest that kept the crowd on their feet till the last whistle when experience proved speed and young legs weren’t self sufficient for a league glory.

Nani, who had been left out of the starting line up for the first half of the season started 4^th match in a row. The winger on the Sunday that mattered most, silenced his critics with a best ever performance and rightfully picking a man of the match award. The maturity he showed on the pitch covering from 1 flag to another, piercing the defence and breaking into the danger zone lead the way for Man Utd. The first goal, a lob from Nani, deflected into the net by Almunia was a gem as he mocked at the Arsenal’s defence near the right corner before squeezing through 2 defenders and lobbing. The second was a visual treat, 4 minutes from the first goal with Rooney giving a cross to Nani from the central midfield before sprinting across like a Tiger with its prey in sight towards the net and getting a cross back from Nani to fire past the goalie. That was his 100^th goal in BPL and 22^nd of the season (20 in BPL).

With 0-2 during halftime, all MU had to do was defend but given their and Fergusson’s reputation they went in for a kill and the Korean kid Park tapped one within 15 minutes on the other side of half time. The only consolation for the gunners was a goal from Vermaelen, deflected by Evans into the net. A usually exuberant Fabregas was subdued for a very long time and Arshavin could not overcome his selfish aim of scoring when he could have passed to the attacking midfielders who could have created opportunities. Wenger was seen scratching his head and looking up to heaven for divine intervention which was not forthcoming while Fergusson was leaping in air for every goal, a rare sight given the Scot’s lack of emotion except while reprimanding his boys. This was also their first win in the new emirates stadium. I so badly wanted Arsenal to lose and Man Utd to win that when it happened, I felt relaxed a bit, having forgotten the taxing work in office for close to 2 hours. Now I so hope that Arsenal’s city rivals thrash them the next week in their super Sunday clash which would inch forward as a 2 horse race to the championship.