Season 2001-02 - Arsenal vs Manchester United
see full Premier-League Games on :
soccerland.sports-classics.stream/premier-league.html
soccerland.sports-classics.stream/premier-league.html
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00A Wet Highbury in November 2001 had a battle between the two sides that had dominated English
00:06league football for so long.
00:08Strangely though, Arsenal came into this game in 7th place and Manchester United in 5th.
00:14Arsenal had been erratic in the league, while United had spluttered, their recent win over
00:18Leicester had been their first in four games.
00:20A goalkeeping crisis for the Gunners, with David Seaman and Richard Wright both out injured,
00:25and 20-year-old Stuart Taylor had a chance to make a name for himself on his debut.
00:30The last time Arsene Wenger's men had played United in the league, they had been thrashed
00:346-1 at Old Trafford.
00:36Wenger decided to drop Sylvain Viltore to the bench, giving Kanu just his second premiership
00:41start of the season.
00:43Ray Parler was recalled in midfield at the expense of Giovanni Van Bronckhorst.
00:49Sir Alex Ferguson decided to stick with the team that had finished their Champions League
00:52game at Bayern Munich during the week.
00:55Dennis Irwin came off injured in that match, to be replaced by Mikel Silvestre.
00:58Ran Giggs was a long-term casualty, out until at least Christmas, so Quinton Fortune was
01:03being given a run in the side.
01:05Autumn rain at Highbury, but the Gunners were hoping to come out smelling of roses.
01:10Match commentary from Ian Dark.
01:12What happens this time?
01:17Last season, Arsenal won by a goal to nil here, great goal too by Thierry Henry, but
01:22revenge and how with that 6-1 thrashing at Old Trafford, when the score after 38 minutes
01:29was 5-1.
01:30Arsenal really could do with that new stadium they're planning to get, they could probably
01:40have filled this ground twice over, here's Vieira trying to break through, Jungberg for
01:47Arsenal.
01:48Now, Lauren is really a midfield player, but is filling in at right back this season with
01:53Lee Dixon still out injured.
01:55Now then, Kanu, return to the side and Kanu goes through two challenges, he's brought
02:02down and Arsenal have a free kick here in really dangerous territory.
02:08And this with only 55 seconds on the clock, it's a terrific piece of play by Kanu who's
02:20been so frustrated, sitting on the bench most of the season, it's Henry, oh and what a save
02:31by Vartes, couldn't have seen much of that, it flew at great velocity past the wall.
02:39And the goalkeeper who's had his critics lately was in the right place, but Arsenal now have
02:46a corner which Robert Pires will take, it's an early defending for Manchester United to
02:55do here, Arsenal intent in getting their league season really up and running, both these sides
03:02are easily within striking distance of the top, they're not out of the championship race
03:07that's far from it, Scholes' challenge is deemed legal, Pires down the line towards
03:14Henry, he's scored in both matches against United last season in the league, now here's
03:23Van Nistelrooy, Silvestre, does well, he's taken out Lauren, it's Silvestre and United
03:32are ahead and it's Paul Scholes with his first Premiership goal of the season
03:41A vital lead for the champions in the 14th minute and poor Stuart Taylor, the very first time
03:49that he had any serious involvement in the game was to pick the ball out of the back of the net
03:56Lauren who lost his footing at a vital moment, good cross and Scholes did the rest, you couldn't
04:01really blame the youngster in goal to be absolutely fair to him, he had no chance
04:11Sir Alex is on his feet, Veron took a deflection, falls nicely to Quentin Fortune, good looking ball
04:18Van Nistelrooy, the ball was too far behind him to get in any kind of significant header
04:25but again Arsenal just caught out down this flank
04:31Cole, good ball to get there, Cano holds it up very well, lays it back to Pires
04:46Youngberg, more promising for Arsenal but a good block by Fortune
04:50Arsenal retaining possession, Ty Grishley, it's Cano, Pires it's all very congested in there
05:02and again Manchester United with a lot of gold shirts back there, hustle the ball away, there's
05:09a lot of covering going on in there now we've got Van Nistelrooy and Upson in a little melee over on
05:14that side and it was something and nothing really
05:23so
05:41Silvestre, Scholes having a more confident game today of course he was the subject of a lot of
05:48criticism but he's given that ball away there to Pires, it was Scholes' error, it is Pires and it's Barthez
06:04Veron, lovely ball, Fortune, it's Quentin Fortune he tries to find Ruud van Nistelrooy with the cross
06:11and those two were a long way ahead of any support that might have been arriving
06:21here's Blanc, Gary Neville keen as ever just sitting deep wanting the ball from his defenders
06:32Silvestre, Tala, crunching challenge he's a bit unlucky not to win the ball there
06:41so
06:45the pitch quite holding after all the rain it's not slick as it often is when there's been a
06:51little rain the players like it like that but it's quite heavy by the look of it at the moment
06:55it's Van Nistelrooy plays a good ball in keen breaking in behind here Quentin Fortune is
06:59waiting in the middle and it's a corner good break by United there
07:11here's Veron, Beckham driven in at pace that's what they were looking for it's Scholes here
07:24blocked as he tried to get in his shot Beckham was looking for some afters and there was nothing
07:29doing for him either now can Arsenal break this time because United don't have quite so many
07:35players back
07:40Lauren
07:44Kanu the attacks lost its momentum and now
07:47Manchester United have got a lot of men behind the ball
07:52Fortune's challenge
07:57Lauren for Arsenal as half-time approaches a good-looking ball in
08:02Gary Neville did well Ray Parler really got hold of that
08:08yard either side of Barthez might have been very interesting
08:16Manchester United will be especially intent on holding on to their lead until half-time
08:25just a minute of added time and we've started that right now very heavy rain again
08:33Campbell but only as far as Van Nistelrooy
08:37Beckham arrives ups an important interception and it might break here for Van Nistelrooy
08:42but no this time Taylor is there
08:47when his name was read out before the kickoff he got a huge round of applause from the Highbury
08:52fans Stuart Taylor they're really willing him to do well here
09:07Vieira on towards Perez
09:12Youngberg takes the deflection difficulties for Barthez
09:17got a hand to it put it behind for the corner kick
09:23so
09:30this might be the last action of the half we're over the one minute
09:34Perez and there is the half-time whistle Manchester United gritty tenacious
09:45and defending in depth and defending well with Barthez having to make some important saves but
09:50Paul Sculls with his first premiership goal of the season in a rare Manchester United sortie
09:56forward giving them the lead and it's a lead that they will defend and defend and defend
10:02in the second half but can Arsenal change the pattern of it all here
10:05Manchester United can go second in the table if they hold on
10:19to the victory here Liverpool will stay top they have 26 points now
10:23United remember in their change strip here
10:39is Sculls wide for Quentin Fortune
10:45Sculls again waved offside
10:53Van Nistelrooy United will look for quick counters
10:59something they've been pretty adept at over the years Beckham
11:05offside Van Nistelrooy he was just behind Campbell there look that way anyway
11:12Van Nistelrooy who's scoring his last two matches
11:16referee is going to be a bit pedantic about where the free kick is taken from he feels Arsenal
11:20was stealing a yard or two but for the sake of keeping it flowing it hardly seemed to matter
11:29Gary Neville gives it away to Perez maybe something for Arsenal here Youngberg has equalized
11:36for Arsenal and that all came from yet another United era and this time Gary Neville
11:45exactly what Arsenal were looking for and Freddie Youngberg who has a habit of scoring
11:50against Manchester United does it again here early in the second half
11:57and it was quite a clever little chip he seemed off balance he seemed to just lose his footing there
12:04but flipped it up cleverly and into the corner no chance whatsoever for Vartez
12:10well then
12:13different mood now
12:21it's a good bit of play by Ashley Cole, Kanu
12:27Wes Brown losing out but you can see that there's no chance whatsoever for Vartez
12:39United having defended so well in the first half will be absolutely kicking themselves I wouldn't
12:46want to go anywhere near Sir Alex Ferguson if I was Gary Neville afterwards because those kind
12:54of individual mistakes have plagued United all season and there was yet another of them
12:59so
13:09and now Arsenal have a free kick
13:19well this game looks very very different already and we're only five minutes into the second half
13:26as Perez floats this ball in and it fell there for Vieira who goes down in the box
13:32no appeal for a penalty he just lost his footing at the vital moment and the chance had gone
13:40now Beckham for United
13:44Silvestre trying to thread it through to Fortune
13:48now Parler looks more open in the centre of the midfield at the moment United may be
13:54rocked by that goal Henri, Arsenal suddenly look a different proposition
13:58has cut across into a great area nobody there at all
14:24here's Dwight York
14:31Kanu did well now then here's Ashley Cole, Henri
14:39it's Henri and to me that is an out and out dive by Henri who's furious but he just seemed to hit
14:46the turf there with no contact whatsoever and we're seeing more and more of this in the Premiership
14:53now just have a look at this yourself oh dear oh dear oh dear now that is as blatant a dive
15:00I think as you're ever going to see the referee had no doubt whatsoever that that was not a penalty
15:13he don't like to see that and not only that he had the gore to complain afterwards
15:18Kanu to Henri, Kanu is in here is this the chance and no Barthez is there
15:27that's a pivotal moment in the game perhaps
15:31Kanu was right through a wonderful opportunity for Arsenal to take the lead and it's gone begging
15:40but Arsenal are looking the better side now
15:48the challenge by Parler come out with real spirit that would have been a great moment for Kanu's
15:55really struggled to get a place in the side this season
16:00he's in from the start today and he could have capped it with a goal there
16:03Lauren plays it in here for Kanu, all Arsenal really in this second half
16:18that's another corner
16:20Dennis Bergkamp
16:35who got his name from a United hero Dennis Law
16:43oh and the header down was from Henri and he got no power on it
16:46Van Nistelrooy kicks himself
16:56York, Van Nistelrooy
17:02York again this looks more promising for Manchester United
17:06ball through from York wasn't accurate enough it gives Arsenal the chance to counter
17:10and Henri but Gary Neville whose error led to the equalizer no problems that time
17:21twice in a matter of days Manchester United ahead
17:24against quality opposition away from home and have let the lead slip
17:29Bergkamp what a brilliant ball Henri's in here and again Fabian Barthez saves Manchester United
17:37well that was absolutely sublime by Bergkamp look at this just look at that and how do you do that
17:51Pires, Barthez got a hand to it, Jungberg plays it back in the danger area Barthez scrambling back
17:58towards his line got involved in a row with one of the Arsenal players over there it's Upson
18:07all kinds of things going on in there at the moment
18:11Barthez is still trying to get towards Matthew Upson he'd be
18:15well advised to stay restrained they don't want him being taken off but he will have his say
18:24it must have been something that happened in midair whether Barthez felt
18:28he took an elbow maybe or some kind of illegal push as he tried to punch the ball
18:32but one way in another here feelings are starting to run pretty high
18:38Fierro's having something to say
18:42now who's Peter Jones booking here I think it's going to be Upson
18:52and maybe Barthez too
18:54and maybe Barthez too
19:02yep Pires with the corner it will be another one
19:11well can they hold on Manchester United to what they have at the moment which is a point
19:17Pires, Barthez from under his own bar punches this time here's Ray Parler
19:24Bergkamp and Keane will be very important helping out his defence but United
19:31having defend very deep Vieira
19:34Bill Neville back to his brother and United smuggling away
19:40Arsenal looking for only their second home league win of the season
19:45Bergkamp's got a bit of space they haven't really picked him up it did Henry on the way through
19:49Brown got it away for United and then York up to Van Nistelrooy if he can get there
19:55he can't because Upson got in a fabulous bit of work
20:01United there might have had the chance to sneak something there in a bit of smash and grub
20:07on the break now is Henry it's an exciting second half near here it really is
20:13Henry going all the way and Gary Neville just got a foot in at the vital moment
20:21whatever next here the ball's been given away Vieira plays it back in it looked like Henry was offside
20:28here's Bergkamp
20:30was a central figure in that epic semi-final between United and Arsenal a couple of seasons back
20:35remember he scored and missed a penalty in that match which United won in extra time
20:42Bergkamp threads it through to Henry
20:46away by Wes Brown
20:50Beckham's challenge referee saw nothing wrong with it the cross was a little bit too far
20:55Beckham's challenge referee saw nothing wrong with it the crowd did
21:04Cole
21:06Ray Parla got hold of it
21:13oh it's given away this time by Barthez to Henry who makes him pay
21:19Arsenal ahead
21:2010 minutes left
21:28and this really sums up Manchester United's season defensively and Henry
21:33simply said thanks a lot 2-1 and it was an absolute gift
21:51and what we have is a fascinating championship race
21:55which from a neutral standpoint we have needed because United have run away with it last two
22:00seasons great ball in here Henry and Barthez hasn't got it and Henry is gonna make him pay again
22:07goodness me it's 3-1
22:15Ferguson shakes his head
22:17and Barthez's day is turning into an absolute nightmare
22:26well isn't it strange all the pre-match publicity was about the boy at the other end making his
22:31premiership debut tomorrow morning it'll all be about Barthez because he should have got this
22:37this is routine really for a goalkeeper at his level but he drops the ball and Henry can hardly
22:45and Henry can hardly believe his luck
22:57key moment of the game was that error by Gary Neville giving the ball away and here come
23:02Arsenal again looking to rub it in they might too it's Freddie Youngberg and this time Barthez
23:07saves but at the moment Manchester United are being ripped to pieces
23:15and how the Arsenal fans are enjoying watching this
23:19they saw their side take a 6-1 hammering remember at Old Trafford last year
23:34Arsenal's next game is against the team in black and white stripes
23:37at Grimsby Town not Juventus, Juventus are in nine days time
23:44the game looks up for Manchester United now we're inside the last minute of normal time
23:52here's Dwight York not much impact from him he's threaded this one through to Solskjaer
23:57that was his best touch of the game and Stuart Taylor did well and has taken a knock too
24:03and Cole is complaining to the referee that Solskjaer had his stud showing
24:09now the young goalkeeper did well there
24:11it was a horrible start for him in this game his first involvement was to pick the ball out of the net
24:20and his last involvement or nearly last will be I think to get injured
24:27now he was beaten here last season and he's going to be beaten here this season too
24:32there's the final whistle three points to Arsenal and some more horrible headlines tomorrow morning
24:46for Fabien Barthez who gives a big hug to his French teammate Thierry Henry to whom
24:53he took the charity a little too far 3-1 and a useful double from Thierry Henry
25:00aided by fellow Frenchman Fabien Barthez. Henry went on to be the league's top goal scorer with 24
25:06his side went on to lift the FA Cup and beat Manchester United 1-0 away in the penultimate
25:12game of the season to clinch the title United finished third outside the top two for the
25:17first time since 1991 their poor form in the first half of the season was to blame they lost