United expose Wenger's deficiencies

Manchester Utd 2 Arsenal 1:For the last 10 minutes of a 2-1 that felt like an 8-2, the visiting fans kept up an unbroken chant of "We love you, Arsenal". Long before that impressive display of solidarity, however, they had supplied ample proof of an anger provoked by the way yet another season threatens to disintegrate in a welter of complaint and recrimination.

As goals from Robin van Persie and Patrice Evra sent Manchester United to the top of the table for the first time this season, after 10 matches Arsenal are already nine points behind the leaders, lying sixth and appearing destined to be caught up in a battle for the final Champions League qualifying position.

Not that the away supporters deserved much sympathy. The vileness of the sustained chants directed at Van Persie made a mockery of Arsene Wenger’s pre-match request for a civilised response to the appearance of their former hero in new colours and of his subsequent claim.

“They expressed their disappointment because they love Robin – I don’t think they were disrespectful,” said Wenger, one of many bizarre statements after the game.

If anybody wanted to see the evidence that persuaded Van Persie to move, it was on show in the flaccid, error-strewn performance by an underpowered Arsenal team containing too many players seemingly destined to make no positive impact on the club’s history.

It started at the back, with the third-minute error by the captain, Thomas Vermaelen, that invited Van Persie to open the scoring. By delivering a savage blow to Arsenal’s morale while encouraging their opponents to slip into a careless, overconfident mode, it was a moment that shaped the course of the entire match.

Wenger gave his opponents a head start by selecting Andre Santos at left-back, ensuring that Antonio Valencia and Rafael da Silva would have all the space they needed – starting in that third minute, when they combined to give Vermaelen the opportunity to make his catastrophic miskick.

Hapless

Arsenal supporters were encouraged at the start of the season by the promotion of Steve Bould to the role of Wenger’s assistant, with special responsibility for defensive matters. But it is hard to believe Bould sees Santos as a satisfactory replacement for the injured Kieran Gibbs. Retaining Carl Jenkinson, the young Englishman, at right-back, where he had played every previous game this season, and bringing Bacary Sagna – returning from injury – back in on the opposite flank would surely have been a better option.

Almost anything would have been better than Santos, and one could only imagine that Lukas Podolski’s failure to lend the hapless Brazilian much support on the left flank was the product of a desire to avoid being tainted by association. All that needs to be added is that when Santos bizarrely asked Van Persie for his shirt on their way to the tunnel at half-time, the Dutchman did not bother to ask for his former team-mate’s in return.

When Wenger pointed out that their early-season programme had included difficult visits to Stoke, Liverpool and the two Manchester clubs, he was deserving of no more than limited sympathy. Nothing exemplified what appears to be the loosening of his grip than the contrast between his handling of Jack Wilshere and the way Alex Ferguson dealt with Tom Cleverley.

Industrious

A chance to compare and contrast the two vastly promising young England midfielders was one of the attractions of the encounter. Cleverley was neat and industrious alongside Michael Carrick at the base of United’s midfield, while Wilshere, making his second league start after his long absence, showed his familiar ability to accept the ball on the half-turn and move it along with adroitness and relevance.

But after collecting yellow cards in the first half – Wilshere for going through on Cleverley, the United player for a foul on Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla – both men were warned after the interval, Wilshere for upending Van Persie and Cleverley for fouling Wilshere. Three minutes after Cleverley had received a final warning, Ferguson replaced him with Anderson. But Wilshere was left on the pitch for the 15 minutes it took him to crunch into Evra – who headed home United’s second – as the Frenchman tried to halt his dribble. “The red card was very harsh,” said Wenger.

While the narrowness of the scoreline was no more than a trick of the light, deficiencies in the way the Arsenal is being managed were exposed.

Guardian Service