I would 8-2 be an Arsenal supporter right now !
PREMIER LEAGUE’S BIGGEST WINS
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I would 8-2 be an Arsenal supporter right now !
Manchester United inflicted total humiliation on Arsenal and their embattled manager Arsene Wenger with a brutal victory at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s Premier League champions responded in spectacular fashion to Manchester City’s outstanding 5-1 win at Spurs by returning to the top of the table with a result that represented Arsenal’s worst defeat since 1896.
Wenger sent out a makeshift side depleted by injuries and suspensions - but even this cannot excuse the manner in which they were outclassed in all parts of the pitch and swept aside with such ease by United.
Wayne Rooney was United’s inspiration with the sixth hat-trick of his Old Trafford career, but Ashley Young also made his mark with two stunning goals. Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-sung were the other scorers.
Theo Walcott reduced United’s three-goal advantage on the stroke of half-time but Robin van Persie’s strike late in the second half-represented no measure of consolation for a dispirited, broken Arsenal.
United keeper David de Gea distinguished himself with a fine penalty save from Van Persie moments after Welbeck had opened the scoring - and in a game of almost unrelenting misery for Arsenal, teenager Carl Jenkinson ensured they have failed to end a game with 11 players in any of their league games this season when he was sent off.
Old Trafford was understandably exultant at the conclusion of such a carnival performance but Wenger now faces defining days of his Arsenal reign before the transfer window closes on Wednesday.
And United completed the scoring with their eighth in injury time, Young once again showing his eye for the spectacular with another curling shot. Wenger cut a despairing figure as he walked back to the dressing room at the final whistle after one of the darkest days of his career. “BBC”
And The Oscar Goes To…
By Gordon Fleetwood, writing from New York
On a Saturday night in Peru earlier this year, Brazil went to Arequipa’s Estadio Monumental de la UNSA needing a win to clinch the South American Youth Championship. Coincidentally, their opponents were Uruguay, the very team that they needed to overthrow. On that February day, Lucas Silva had the game of a lifetime. He bossed the game and scored a hat-trick to spearhead a comprehensive 6-0 win. Neymar went on to collect the awards for top scorer and player of the tournament, but there was certainly an argument to be made that the latter prize belonged to Lucas.
The demolition of Uruguay was the perfect end to what had been an incredible series of displays from the Säo Paulo midfielder. That night, another young attacking Brazilian midfielder had a front row seat to Lucas’ stellar show. Six months later, there was an eerie sense of déjà vu as Oscar went from being spectator into the role of main actor that he had seen Lucas execute with such aplomb.
Oscar’s hat-trick that broke Portuguese hearts and gave Brazil their fifth U20 World Cup title was certainly the cherry on top of a magnificent tournament for the upcoming star. Coming into the tournament there was some doubt that - after a less than stellar showing in qualifying - he wouldn‘t step into the leadership role left vacant by Neymar and Lucas, despite his obvious talent. This concern was soon put to rest as the Internacional midfielder quickly established himself as Brazil’s talisman, and carried this burden with ease as the team progressed.
