Manchester United 1-2 Arsenal: Danny Welbeck dumps Red Devils out of the FA Cup with winner
Score to settle: Danny Welbeck scored the winner against his boyhood club
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Perhaps Arsene Wenger simply missed the days when this used to be the most bitterly-contested fixture in English football.
Perhaps he regretted the fact that in recent times, there has often been more poison in a Birmingham poodle show than in*Manchester United*vs Arsenal.
Because he made the shock decision to send out*Danny Welbeck*as a centre-forward - axeing Olivier Giroud after two goals in as many games – knowing that the spurned former United striker had an axe to grind with Louis Van Gaal.
It turned out to be one of those masterstroke decisions Le Professeur used to conjure up back in the glory days of these contests - the era of Keane and Vieira, of Invincibles and Treble winners, of flying pizzas and Martin Keown’s spooky-ghost routine.
Score to settle: Danny Welbeck scored the winner against his boyhood club
Van Gaal had been openly dismissive of Welbeck after flogging him to Arsenal for £16million in August and was probably too arrogant to believe the England forward could return to condemn him to a barren debut season at Old Trafford.
After all, this was only Welbeck’s eighth goal in a Gunners shirt and he has been shunted out wide since Giroud’s return from injury.
But Wenger admitted he had sensed a psychological something – and Welbeck sniffed out a predatory finish to send the FA Cup holders into a Wembley semi-final against Reading or Bradford.
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Hero: Welbeck fired the Gunners into the last four
It was a nightmare moment for the bungling United duo of Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia.
And the night got even worse for Van Gaal when*£59millon Angel Di Maria was sent off for grabbing ref Michael Oliver after being cautioned for diving.
So no trophy for Van Gaal, who now faces a desperate fight to retain Champions League status – and refused to dress this up as anything other than a major blow when asked to looked forward at the run-in.
Arsenal had managed a single draw in their previous ten winless visits to Old Trafford, yet now they can finally bury memories of their 8-2 humbling here in 2011 which rates as Wenger’s darkest hour.
Planet Photos
Red mist: Angel Di Maria gets sent off for grabbing referee Michael Oliver's shirt
There was a little argy-bargy early on, Hector Bellerin booked for cutting Ashley Young in half and Francis Coquelin, who’d broken his nose last week, suffering another whack on the hooter from a Marouane Fellaini elbow.
But Arsenal had been threatening before their 26th-minute opener, pressing high, snapping at United heels.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain received a square ball from Mesut Ozil, jinked past four players as he cut in from the right and slipped a pass to Monreal, who beat David De Gea at his near post with a cute finish.
It was only the Spanish left-back’s second goal for Arsenal – but the lead would last for only three minutes.
Di Maria delivered a curling left-foot cross from the right, Laurent Koscielny allowed it to float over his head, leaving Wayne Rooney to attack it with a thumping header.
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Cool finish: Nacho Monreal gives Arsenal the lead
The England captain had been desperate to win this trophy for the first time and he celebrated with relish. Play him at centre forward and, more often than not, the Scouser will score.
Van Gaal shook it up at the break, introducing Michael Carrick and Jones for Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw, while Wenger was forced to bring on Aaron Ramsey when Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a hamstring problem soon after.
Fellaini, who had maintained an undercurrent of spite during a running battle with Coquelin, teed up Di Maria to drive one narrowly wide and just as United were looking to take a strangehold, Arsenal went route-one for their winner.
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Head boy: Wayne Rooney hauled United level before the break
Szczesny’s punt was met by a botched attempt to control from Jones and a stubbed-toe back-pass from Valencia, allowing a gleeful Welbeck, as if in some feverish dream, to round De Gea and poke home.
Smalling blazed over from close range and Cazorla forced a blinding save from De Gea before Di Maria’s meltdown – grabbing at Oliver’s shirt after diving under a challenge from Ramsey before making a lonely walk back to an empty dressing-room.
“Danny Welbeck, he left cos you’re s**t,” taunted the Arsenal fans, at the final whistle.
Players never used to leave this place to increase their chances of winning trophies. But Welbeck might have done just that.
Perhaps he regretted the fact that in recent times, there has often been more poison in a Birmingham poodle show than in*Manchester United*vs Arsenal.
Because he made the shock decision to send out*Danny Welbeck*as a centre-forward - axeing Olivier Giroud after two goals in as many games – knowing that the spurned former United striker had an axe to grind with Louis Van Gaal.
It turned out to be one of those masterstroke decisions Le Professeur used to conjure up back in the glory days of these contests - the era of Keane and Vieira, of Invincibles and Treble winners, of flying pizzas and Martin Keown’s spooky-ghost routine.
Score to settle: Danny Welbeck scored the winner against his boyhood club
Van Gaal had been openly dismissive of Welbeck after flogging him to Arsenal for £16million in August and was probably too arrogant to believe the England forward could return to condemn him to a barren debut season at Old Trafford.
After all, this was only Welbeck’s eighth goal in a Gunners shirt and he has been shunted out wide since Giroud’s return from injury.
But Wenger admitted he had sensed a psychological something – and Welbeck sniffed out a predatory finish to send the FA Cup holders into a Wembley semi-final against Reading or Bradford.
Getty
Hero: Welbeck fired the Gunners into the last four
It was a nightmare moment for the bungling United duo of Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia.
And the night got even worse for Van Gaal when*£59millon Angel Di Maria was sent off for grabbing ref Michael Oliver after being cautioned for diving.
So no trophy for Van Gaal, who now faces a desperate fight to retain Champions League status – and refused to dress this up as anything other than a major blow when asked to looked forward at the run-in.
Arsenal had managed a single draw in their previous ten winless visits to Old Trafford, yet now they can finally bury memories of their 8-2 humbling here in 2011 which rates as Wenger’s darkest hour.
Planet Photos
Red mist: Angel Di Maria gets sent off for grabbing referee Michael Oliver's shirt
There was a little argy-bargy early on, Hector Bellerin booked for cutting Ashley Young in half and Francis Coquelin, who’d broken his nose last week, suffering another whack on the hooter from a Marouane Fellaini elbow.
But Arsenal had been threatening before their 26th-minute opener, pressing high, snapping at United heels.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain received a square ball from Mesut Ozil, jinked past four players as he cut in from the right and slipped a pass to Monreal, who beat David De Gea at his near post with a cute finish.
It was only the Spanish left-back’s second goal for Arsenal – but the lead would last for only three minutes.
Di Maria delivered a curling left-foot cross from the right, Laurent Koscielny allowed it to float over his head, leaving Wayne Rooney to attack it with a thumping header.
Getty
Cool finish: Nacho Monreal gives Arsenal the lead
The England captain had been desperate to win this trophy for the first time and he celebrated with relish. Play him at centre forward and, more often than not, the Scouser will score.
Van Gaal shook it up at the break, introducing Michael Carrick and Jones for Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw, while Wenger was forced to bring on Aaron Ramsey when Oxlade-Chamberlain suffered a hamstring problem soon after.
Fellaini, who had maintained an undercurrent of spite during a running battle with Coquelin, teed up Di Maria to drive one narrowly wide and just as United were looking to take a strangehold, Arsenal went route-one for their winner.
Getty
Head boy: Wayne Rooney hauled United level before the break
Szczesny’s punt was met by a botched attempt to control from Jones and a stubbed-toe back-pass from Valencia, allowing a gleeful Welbeck, as if in some feverish dream, to round De Gea and poke home.
Smalling blazed over from close range and Cazorla forced a blinding save from De Gea before Di Maria’s meltdown – grabbing at Oliver’s shirt after diving under a challenge from Ramsey before making a lonely walk back to an empty dressing-room.
“Danny Welbeck, he left cos you’re s**t,” taunted the Arsenal fans, at the final whistle.
Players never used to leave this place to increase their chances of winning trophies. But Welbeck might have done just that.
