Arsenal 1 Manchester United 3 (Agg 1-4):Like the great Emperors of the past, Alex Ferguson will attempt to rule Rome in three weeks' time after Manchester United produced an awesome attacking display to destroy Arsenal.
A fortuitous opener from Park Ji-sung was followed by a thunderous 40-yard free-kick from Cristiano Ronaldo to effectively book a Champions League final date with Chelsea or Barcelona on May 27th after only 11 minutes.
Ronaldo capped a fine performance and drew howls of glee from David Beckham, who had made the trip from Milan to witness a victory that will go alongside that staggering win over Juventus in 1999 that the former England skipper was a part of, by sliding home a third goal, his 25th of the season.
It was not quite a perfect night for United. How could it be when Darren Fletcher ended it in disbelief at the red card for a tackle on Cesc Fabregas which will rule him out of the Italian job.
However, it was not far off, leaving United to await events at Stamford Bridge tomorrow with so many neutrals, if not a Chelsea side hell-bent on revenge, hoping Barcelona set up what would be a dream decider.
No amount of meticulous planning can legislate for bad luck.
It is the unknown factor that, in an instant, can screw any amount of hopes and dreams into the tightest ball and throw them out of the highest window, never to be seen again.
Kieran Gibbs has not been a first-team regular very long. Fitness permitting, he has almost a decade and a half in front of him in the Arsenal side.
It is a fair bet, at the end of his career, the 18-year-old still regards the horror that unfolded eight minutes into what was such an eagerly-awaited contest as the worst moment he had to endure.
In his head, Gibbs was about to control Ronaldo’s cutback, then decide whether to play a short pass out of defence or present Manuel Almunia with a routine clearance. Fate had other plans.
Instead, poor Gibbs lost his footing and hit the ground with a thump. Like lightning, Park seized on the loose ball, delicately lifting it over Almunia, whose arrival came just too late.
The United contingent went delirious. Fans, coaches, manager, players, Beckham alike all knew what it meant. They knew the prospect of Arsenal getting three to go through was so remote to be beyond comprehension.
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