Man United 0 Arsenal 0
Arsenal survived not only the dismissal of Patrick Vieira but also a last-minute penalty by Ruud van Nistelrooy to claim a point at Old Trafford in a fixture that was again marred by controversy.
Vieira was dismissed amid a frantic finale to a match which took almost 80 minutes to burst into life before then going off like a firecracker. After the Frenchman had become the third Arsenal player to be sent off in consecutive fixtures against United, Sir Alex Ferguson's side looked poised to clinch victory with just seconds left.
However, after Diego Forlan went tumbling under pressure from Martin Keown, van Nistelrooy crashed his penalty against the underside of the bar, his third spot-kick miss of the season already. What then followed, however, was little short of disgraceful.
Vieira may have left in anger after his second booking for a kick aimed at van Nistelrooy which failed to make contact, while keeper Jens Lehmann had gone to ground after a scuffle with Quinton Fortune. However, it was the way in which several Arsenal players - led by Keown and including a clear shove by Lauren - celebrated directly in van Nistelrooy's face as he walked away from his failed spot-kick which first stuck in the throat.
This was followed by a melee in which Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to square up to the Arsenal players and Kolo Toure seemed to clash with van Nistelrooy as the tension boiled over. When the match was over, however, and the inquest had begun, the net result was still that Arsenal had managed to restate their Premiership credentials when it mattered most.
Just four days after a damaging 3-0 home defeat by Inter Milan and in the wake of a tepid home draw against Portsmouth, Wenger's side had stood up to be counted. They may not have seriously threatened to snatch victory, as they managed in their previous title triumphs in 1998 and 2002. However, Wenger had insisted it would how his side responded to their comprehensive defeat by Inter that would show their true character.
Even without their most influential defensive influence, Sol Campbell, they refused to succumb to United's attacking pressure and proved they are still their equals in domestic terms at least. Arsenal's already thin defensive resources were further stretched by Campbell's understandable decision that he could not focus on a game even of this magnitude after the death of his father.
In came Keown but, perhaps more importantly, Ray Parlour replaced Robert Pires in midfield and, with Dennis Bergkamp also battling hard in a withdrawn role, Arsenal held their own early on. They had been outmuscled at Old Trafford in the league last season and it was clear that Wenger was determined not to allow it to happen again.
The visitors therefore pressed high up the pitch, but without over-committing themselves forward at any point. United's main danger, predictably enough, came through Ronaldo, selected, one presumes, on the right flank to exploit Ashley Cole's recent defensive deficiencies. However, Cole gave his best display for several months and was offered considerable support from not only Fredrik Ljungberg but also Vieira, who kept a watchful eye over the young full-back.
Ronaldo still managed to threaten, bamboozling Gilberto Silva with one step-over and Ryan Giggs' free-kick flew across the penalty area and clipped the outside of the far post. Ronaldo was then fouled by Cole, with Giggs' next delivery also causing Arsenal problems as van Nistelrooy directed a looping header onto the roof of the net.
However, while United were starting to turn the screw, Wenger's side are at their most dangerous on the break and, when Cole burst forward onto Henry's pass, his shot was only inches wide. That was Arsenal's only real threat of the first-half, although they achieved their first objective in being comfortable enough at the back.
Indeed, while Lehmann saved a flicked header by Fortune and a tame shot by Ronaldo, the Gunners were by no means undaunted. After a penalty appeal had been turned down following Gary Neville's last-ditch tackle on Ljungberg shortly after the restart, United again upped the tempo. When Arsenal momentarily lost concentration, Gary Neville's long throw enabled van Nistelrooy to bear down on goal only for Lehmann to save from a tight angle.
The match was delicately poised, but the bookings continued and when Vieira was shown his first yellow card, the second caution soon followed. That it came from Steve Bennett, who dismissed Francis Jeffers in the Community Shield only last month, will hardly have improved Arsenal's mood. However, they were further angered when Bennett then awarded United a last-minute penalty for Keown's tangle with substitute Forlan.
That van Nistelrooy's miss rescued a point for Wenger's side will, however, take second billing to the ensuing controversy. And that was the saddest outcome of all.
PA