Friday, Apr 18, 2003
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Football
Arsenal's Stuart Taylor (on the ground) can only look on as Manchester's Ryan Giggs scores the equaliser during their Barclaycard Premiership match at Highbury in North London on Wednesday. — AP
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and his bitter Arsenal rival Arsene Wenger wouldn't dare speculate about the outcome of the league title after Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Highbury. Billed as the biggest match of the English season, it didn't disappoint. But it failed to deliver a knockout blow. Asked who was the favourite, Ferguson replied: ``don't ask me that one. I couldn't tell you. I think it's going to go to the wire... It's boiling very, very strongly.'' ``It's open for anybody to take,'' Wenger added. Ferguson seemed more pleased with the result. Following a cold handshake with Wenger, he walked off the pitch — arms raised to the hostile 39,000 sellout at Highbury. ``Arsenal showed its determination for that 15-20 minute spell after halftime,'' he said. ``It deserved its goals for the pressure it put on us. That was a big moment. If it hadn't scored, I think we would have won.'' ``But I think we were the better team,'' he added. Wenger took an opposite view. ``In the second half we put them under pressure and came back to a 2-1 lead. But I'm disappointed because I feel we lost our concentration for one minute. If we had kept the 2-1, we would have won this game.'' ``I must say the 2-2 looks a fair result. You can't say anybody at the moment is in the driving seat. We go from game to game now.'' Manchester United leads with 71 points and has four to play. Defending champion Arsenal has 68 but has five matches remaining. Arsenal also has a one-goal edge in crucial goal difference. Manchester United's closing schedule also looks tougher, although English bookmakers have made the Reds slight favourites. ``Arsenal has scored more goals than us,'' Ferguson said. ``That's an issue we have to accept and have to do something about that. We have four tough games. Arsenal has five games, and two or three are tough.''
Man of the night
United's Ryan Giggs was the man of the night. The quick left-winger equalised on a header in the 63rd, just a minute after Thierry Henry's second goal gave Arsenal a 2-1 lead on a play that looked offside on TV replays. Henry scored his first in the 51st when a shot by Arsenal defender Ashley Cole struck him and deflected in behind 'keeper Fabien Barthez. The best goal of the match was Ruud's Van Nistelrooy's 24th-minute strike. He beat Arsenal defenders Martin Keown and Sol Campbell coming down the left side — and then Arsenal's backup 'keeper Stuart Taylor from eight meters (yards). ``We got in front from a fantastic goal from Ruud,'' Ferguson said. ``I'm surprised we didn't go and settle the issue because we were the best team.'' ``That's a big boost when you get a lucky goal like Arsenal did.'' Asked if he was offside, Henry replied: ``I don't know.'' ``The first one (goal) had to be one of the luckiest one I've ever scored,'' he admitted. ``All the games are going to be a cup final now, and that started from today.'' Giggs was satisfied with the rally and draw. ``We probably shaded it in the first half and it was nice in the end to get back into the game,'' he said. ``Not many teams come back from 2-1 down here.'' ``The team which won would have been in pole position. A draw — there's plenty of games left.'' The match, which was incident free, nearly erupted in the 82nd when Campbell was sent off on a red card for elbowing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. England midfielder David Beckham was left on the bench as Ferguson fielded the lineup that won 6-2 last weekend against Newcastle. Solskjaer replaced Beckham. Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman missed the match with the flu. Arsenal once led Manchester United by eight points in the league race and now seems fortunate to still be in it. The draw left the Gunners with a chance to secure an unprecedented league and FA Cup double. The Gunners are in the FA Cup final against Southampton. Manchester United has dominated the Premier League since it started in 1992, winning every year except 1995 (Blackburn), 1998 (Arsenal) and 2002 (Arsenal). Until Wenger arrived in 1996, Arsenal's highest finish was fourth. The Gunners won the league in 1998 by one point and finished a point behind United in 1999. A year later, United won the league by 18 points, and by 10 points in 2001. Last season, Liverpool bumped Manchester United into third, its first trophy-less year since 1995. AP
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