Manchester United F.C. 8–2 Arsenal F.C.
The first fixture between Manchester United and Arsenal in the 2011–12 Premier League season was played on 28 August 2011 at Old Trafford in Manchester. Manchester United won the match 8–2, making it Arsenal's heaviest league defeat since 1927, 84 years earlier, when they lost 7–0 to West Ham United in the old Football League First Division. It was also the first time they had conceded eight goals in a game since 1896, when they lost 8–0 to the now defunct Loughborough in the old Second Division.
| Event | 2011–12 Premier League | ||||||
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| Date | 28 August 2011 | ||||||
| Venue | Old Trafford, Manchester | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Wayne Rooney | ||||||
| Attendance | 75,448 | ||||||
| Weather | Clear | ||||||
Background
Fixtures between Manchester United and Arsenal had seen a number of controversial incidents in the previous seasons. The rivalry between the two clubs had grown more intense since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, since when all but one Premier League title had been won by Manchester United or Arsenal (Blackburn Rovers won the title in 1994–95).
Manchester United looking to defend their title by three consecutive matches.
Arsenal looking for their first win in this season after draw in opening match against Newcastle United and lost to Liverpool on 20 August 2011.
Match
Team selection
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson picked the same starting XI to play against Arsenal as had beaten Tottenham Hotspur six days earlier, a side that had only seen three changes from their opening-day win at West Bromwich Albion. Centre-back Rio Ferdinand missed the match against Tottenham with a hamstring injury, but had returned to training ahead of the Arsenal game;[1] however, he was only deemed fit enough for a place on the bench against Arsenal, and with defensive partner Nemanja Vidić also out with a calf problem,[1] Jonny Evans and summer signing Phil Jones continued at the back. Right-back Rafael was a long-term injury concern with a dislocated shoulder,[1] so Chris Smalling continued in his place, while Patrice Evra captained the side from left-back and David de Gea played in goal for the fourth game in a row after signing from Atlético Madrid in the summer. The midfield and forward lines were the same as in the two previous games, with Tom Cleverley as the only change from the Community Shield, when he had come on for Michael Carrick at half-time. Darren Fletcher was in contention for a place in the team after a long-term stomach virus infection, but missed out on selection, while Javier Hernández was only picked on the bench for the second game in a row as he continued his recovery from a concussion sustained on the club's pre-season tour of the United States;[1][2] Danny Welbeck started alongside Wayne Rooney in attack.
Arsenal went into the match with more selection issues, having had a player sent off in each of their first two games of the season, which meant Gervinho and Emmanuel Frimpong were ineligible to play, as was Alex Song, who had been charged with violent conduct and was serving a three-game suspension for a stamp on Newcastle United's Joey Barton on the opening day of the season.[1] Wojciech Szczęsny started in goal, having won the job from Łukasz Fabiański midway through the previous season. In defence, Laurent Koscielny recovered from a back injury that had ruled him out of Arsenal's UEFA Champions League win over Udinese four days earlier to partner Johan Djourou in the middle;[1] Armand Traoré started on the left in place of Kieran Gibbs, who had a hamstring injury,[1] while Bacary Sagna was left out entirely, and 19-year-old Carl Jenkinson played on the right. In the absence of Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby due to injury,[1] manager Arsène Wenger picked a three-man midfield of Aaron Ramsey, Tomáš Rosický and Francis Coquelin, who was making his league debut for the club. Up front, as expected, Theo Walcott started on the right, Andrey Arshavin on the left and captain Robin van Persie played through the middle.
Summary
Manchester United opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, when Welbeck beat Djourou to a scooped pass from Anderson and headed the ball past Szczęsny.[3] Arsenal had a chance to level the scores five minutes later, when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Walcott by Evans; however, De Gea correctly guessed the direction of Van Persie's penalty kick and pushed the ball around the post.[4] A minute later, Traoré could only clear a cross from Rooney as far as Ashley Young, who controlled the ball, shifted it onto his right foot and curled a shot into the top corner to score his first goal for Manchester United since signing from Aston Villa that summer.[5] In the 35th minute, Welbeck suffered a hamstring injury and was substituted by Hernández.[3] Rooney scored his 150th Manchester United goal in the 41st minute, from a free kick awarded for a foul on Young by Jenkinson, who was booked; Rooney rolled the ball to Young, who stopped it, changing the angle for Rooney to curl it around the defensive wall into the top corner.[4] Arsenal did ultimately pull a goal back in injury time at the end of the first half, when a clearance from Evra only went as far as Ramsey; after Arshavin and Rosický combined on the edge of the penalty area, Van Persie allowed the ball to run through to Walcott, who shot through De Gea's legs for Arsenal's first league goal of the season.[4]
It took almost 20 minutes of the second half for either side to score again, but it was Manchester United who did so in the 64th minute from another Rooney free kick; after he was fouled by Djourou on the edge of the Arsenal penalty area, he ran the same set-piece routine as for his earlier goal with the same result.[3] Three minutes later, Rooney was again involved, as he provided the assist for an unmarked Nani to lob Szczęsny from near the penalty spot; that was to be Nani's last contribution to the match as he and Anderson were substituted by Ryan Giggs and Park Ji-sung.[3] Park was involved quickly, first setting up Rooney for a lobbed shot over Szczęsny that came back off the post before combining with Young to find some space on the edge of the box and shooting low past Szczęsny into the far corner of the net to make the score 6–1.[4] Van Persie pulled another one back for Arsenal in the 74th minute; after a cross from Jenkinson was headed away by Jones, Jenkinson headed the ball back across the penalty area, where Van Persie beat De Gea at his near post with a powerful left-footed shot.[4] Two minutes later, Jenkinson received a second yellow card and was sent off for a professional foul on Hernández, who was through on goal, meaning Arsenal had had a player dismissed in each of their first three games of the season.[3] Rooney completed his hat-trick, the sixth of his Manchester United career,[6] in the 80th minute with a penalty kick awarded for a foul by Walcott on Evra.[4] Young made it 8–2 in injury time at the end of the game with a curling shot from just inside the penalty area on the left-hand side.[4]
Detail
| Manchester United | 8–2 | Arsenal |
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Welbeck  Young Rooney Nani Park Ji-sung |
Report | Walcott Van Persie |
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    Arsenal
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Match rules
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Aftermath
Arsenal completed a strong recovery from a disastrous start to the season including their 8–2 defeat at Manchester United in August. They finished at third behind Manchester United.
Manchester United's were the early pace-setters, leading the table until October when they drew at Liverpool allowing Manchester City to overtake them. The following week, City increased their lead to five points with a shock 6–1 away victory at Old Trafford, which they maintained until December, when they dropped points and their lead narrowed, but City remained in front until March, when a defeat at Swansea City saw them drop behind United. City's bad form continued for the next month while United went on a winning run, so that with six matches remaining United were eight points ahead of City and the title seemingly decided. However, United then faltered with a defeat and a draw in their next two games, while City won all three to narrow the gap to three points. City then beat United 1–0 at the City of Manchester Stadium to move back ahead of United on goal difference. Both sides won their penultimate matches to maintain the status quo.
Going into the final matches, which were played simultaneously, Manchester City were top of the league, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference. However, a Wayne Rooney goal away to Sunderland gave United the advantage. A 39th-minute goal from Pablo Zabaleta, his first of the season, put City back on top at half time. In a dramatic second half Djibril Cissé equalised for Queens Park Rangers in the 48th minute. Shortly after, Joey Barton of QPR was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez; on his way off the pitch, he kicked Sergio Agüero, attempted to headbutt Vincent Kompany and squared up to Mario Balotelli. Despite the numerical advantage, City went behind after Jamie Mackie gave QPR the lead in the 66th minute. As time wound down in both matches, it appeared that Manchester United would win the title with their victory over Sunderland. But Edin Džeko equalised for City in the 92nd minute. While United players waited on the field at Sunderland for a possible trophy presentation, Manchester City's Sergio Agüero scored the game winner in the 95th minute to clinch the title on goal difference.
References
- "Man United v Arsenal preview". Sky Sports. 26 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- Bell, Jack (27 July 2011). "Chicharito Sustains Concussion". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- "United show no mercy". Sky Sports. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- "Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal". BBC Sport. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- Spencer, Jamie (28 August 2019). "Man Utd 8-2 Arsenal: When an Ashley Young Brace & Wayne Rooney Hat-Trick Saw the Gunners Humiliated". 90min.com. Minute Media. Retrieved 14 August 2020.
- "Hat-Tricks - Wayne Rooney". StretfordEnd.co.uk. Barn End Media. Retrieved 14 August 2020.