by Alex Yesufu

Faintly splendid performance from United. By no means a statement-of-intent performance, but they ground out a victory when it was essential, and appear cured of the defensive uncertainty they were suffering with earlier in the season. Rooney was tireless, setting the tone for an obstinate second half performance. Arsenal were dreadful with the ball in the first half and ran out of ideas in a far more impressive second 45. They looked a touch jaded this afternoon. The sickness. The dreaded sickness.

Arsène Wenger claimed that Arsenal’s woeful record at Manchester United contributed to their sixth successive Old Trafford defeat after admitting that his players were too “nervous” against the champions.

“I am disappointed to lose any game, but I felt we were a bit nervous at the start,” Wenger said. “We didn’t play our game. We showed nervousness and gave United confidence by making a mistake at our first set-piece. Why were we nervous? Maybe because we haven’t won here for a long time. We rushed our game too much and lost too many balls. In the second half we were composed, had a real go and played our usual game.”

David Moyes recorded his first victory against a key rival as his team secured the three points. And he paid tribute to Van Persie and Wayne Rooney for their contributions to the win.

“The big players are coming up when they’re needed and Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney’s games were two big performances,” Moyes said. “Great players score great goals in big games, and Robin is a great player. But his sidekick Rooney played great, too.”

With this result, and other turn of results this weekend, the league race has been thrown wide open. Who will finish tops? Would we have a surprise inclusion in the Top 4 in the form of Southampton? Or is it too soon to predict? Our fingers remain crossed.