Starting Eleven – Games of the 2007/08 Season
With the season winding down to a climactic finish at both ends of the league table, the Premier League can once again look back another terrific season. With three Championship sides in the FA Cup semi finals, three English sides making it through to the Champions League semi finals and Rangers representing Britain in the semi finals of the UEFA Cup final, there is no doubt that the 2007/08 has been one of the most entertaining seasons in recent memory.
With just three games to go for most league sides in England and Scotland, it is time to reflect on the season’s best games….
With just three games to go for most league sides in England and Scotland, it is time to reflect on the season’s best games….
Spurs 1 – 3 Arsenal – 15th September 2007
The first North London derby of the season proved to be a thrilling encounter as rivals Spurs and Arsenal met at White Hart Lane. After a bad start to the season, Spurs were looking to pick up their second victory in a week to keep pace with the top sides in the Premier League. The game started well for Spurs with Dimitar Berbatov opening the scoring with a cool finish in the opening twenty minutes. Arsenal looked shell shocked and attempted to play their way back into the game in the second half, but with Spurs looking to strike the killer blow an early goal was crucial. The Gunners began creating chances and soon found an equalizer when Adebayor beat Robinson to a curling free kick with an hour of the game gone. Arsenal began looking more confident and soon began to found their real form, ten minutes from the end and with the next goal set to be crucial, Cesc Fabregas tried his luck from thirty yards and found the top corner to give Arsenal the lead. As Spurs threw players forward looking to grab a dramatic late equalizer, Arsenal counter attacked with Fabregas who found Adebayor in space. The Togolese striker controlled before smashing a volley past the helpless Spurs goalkeeper to give Arsenal a much needed three points.
Portsmouth 7 – 4 Reading – 29th September 2007
In what will be recognized as one of the craziest games in Premier League history, Portsmouth faced Reading at Fratton Park in the early stages of the season. Having had a fairly poor start to the season the Royals were looking to build on their solitary point obtained in their opening weekend against Manchester United. Their best laid plans were soon in tatters however as Portsmouth went two up inside the first half. Reading’s response to going behind was a testament to their battling quality as just before half time Steven Hunt nipped into give his side a way back into the game. It got even better for Reading in the second period as they equalized three minutes gone after half time. Unfortunately for the away side, they were unable to consolidate their position as some poor defending allowed Portsmouth to retake a two goal lead inside the hour mark, Zimbabwean forward Benjani netting the third of a hat trick to make the score 4-2. Worse was to come as Reading soon began to implode, conceding a fifth before pulling one back to make it an eight goal thriller with fifteen minutes to go. Portsmouth weren’t finished yet though as Davis and Muntari added to the Pompey before Shorey pulled back yet another consolation to make the final score 7-4.
Spurs 4 – 4 Aston Villa – 1st October 2007
Suffering a bout of horrendously in-different form at the start of the season, Spurs looked to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a rousing home performance against Aston Villa. The game started well for Martin Jol’s side who took the lead through Berbatov in the opening minutes. The delight of the Spurs fans was incredibly short lived however as their flaky defence was once again exposed when Martin Laursen netted two headed goals in ten minutes to turn the game on its head. Agbonlahor netted a superb third at the end of the first half before Craig Gardner made the game seemingly out of sight at 4-1. Spurs, who had recently been pegged back at Fulham, threw caution to the wind and pulled a goal back through Chimbonda with half an hour to go. Villa now began to look a little tentative and became more defensive in their approach. The away side were forced onto the back foot for the first time in the game and conceded a penalty which saw them be pegged back to 4-3 with eight minutes left. As Tottenham gave it one last push they found themselves in luck when Younis Kabul slammed the ball home from close range in the final minute to end the night in dramatic fashion.
Everton 1 – 2 Liverpool – 20th October 2007
The season’s first Merseyside derby of the season did not disappoint as Liverpool met Everton at Goodison Park in October. With the form book out of the window as usual, Everton took the lead when the unlucky Sami Hyypia deflected into his own net with just ten minutes gone. Desperate to find a way back into the game in the second half, Liverpool began throwing more players forward though striker Dirk Kuyt was lucky to stay on the pitch as he dived into a crazy challenge with Phil Neville, his studs clearly high. Despite the injustice of the Dutchman not even receiving a card, he then became his side’s saviour when he equalized from the penalty spot. When Gerrard was fouled in the area by Tony Hibbert, the Everton player was dismissed and Liverpool made it 1-1. Soon the Liverpool captain was to follow Hibbert off the pitch when to his surprise Benitez decided to substitute him later in the second half. Although Everton fans were delighted to see their rivals talisman hauled off, the smile was soon wiped off their faces blue faces however as Kuyt was given another chance to score from the penalty spot and duly dispatched his second of the game. In the dying minutes of the game, Everton were struck by more bad luck as the referee refused to award a penalty when Joleen Lescott was blatantly wrestled to the ground by Jamie Carragher. Their misery was compounded in the final moments as Phil Neville was then dismissed for protesting as Everton ended the game with nine men and even worst lost out to their bitter rivals.
Wigan 5 – 3 Blackburn – 16th December 2007
Having struggled for consistency so far during the season, Wigan and Blackburn met in a fiery North West derby at the JJB Stadium. In a game which could see them pull away from the teams around them at the bottom of the league, Wigan began attacking their opponents from the first whistle. They made the perfect start when Landzaat smashed home the opening goal in the 10th minute after a good passage of play. Upon applying more pressure the home side made further break throughs as Marcus Bent and Paul Scharner struck big blows to Blackburn and effectively made the game over at 3-0. Just before half time however, Blackburn gave themselves hope by pulling a goal back through Roque Santa Cruz. After coming out from the break the Paraguayan struck twice more to make the score 3-3 and with the momentum, Rovers looked as if they could go onto win the game. The third of Santa Cruz’s hat trick was made even more astounding as mid way through the second half, the away side were reduced to ten men when they had Emerton sent off. Looking to claim one final goal which may win the game, Blackburn were caught up on the hop by Wigan who mustered two more goals through Marcus Bent in the final twenty minutes.
Chelsea 4 – 4 Aston Villa - 26th December 2007
With the festive period certain to be a decisive factor in the Premiership title race, Chelsea needed to pick up maximum points if they were to keep pace with Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the league. Having lost their manager, a tough task faced Avram Grant as an in form Aston Villa side came to Stamford Bridge looking to keep their own European aspirations alive. Missing several key players from their team Chelsea looked vulnerable at the back and conceded an early goal to Shaun Maloney. The midfielder added a second before half time but as Villa switched off Shevchenko nipped in to win and score a penalty just before half time. To worsen their position, Villa had defender Zat Knight sent off for the offense and they were left with the task of holding of Chelsea at bay for the whole of the second half. The home side, boosted by the late first half strike, rallied in the second period and the Ukrainian Shevchenko netted to level up the scores before Brazilian Alex headed home his first goal to give the blues the lead for the first time in the game. Chelsea began to look comfortable but were shocked as a Martin Lauresen popped up for Villa to make it 3-3. The title chasing side were able to forge back ahead however as substitute Michael Ballack once more turned the score in Chelsea’s favour. Unfortunately for the home side, it wasn’t to be as Carvalho was sent off for a rash challenge late in the game and then Ashley Cole was given his marching orders in the final minute for bringing down Agbonlahor in the area. Gareth Barry coolly stepped up and with the final kick of the game equalized from the penalty spot to give Villa a share of the points.
Chelsea 1 – 2 Spurs – 24th February 2008
With the first major silverware of the season up for grabs, Spurs and Chelsea headed to Wembley for the second all London clash in the Carling Cup Final in two seasons. The heavily favoured blues were looking to defend the trophy they had claimed a season earlier and got off to a great start in the game when Didier Drogba fired them into the lead with a superb free kick. Chelsea had been second best throughout much of the game but having the lead gave them extra confidence heading into second half. Spurs came out from the break re-energised and found their way back into the game through a penalty. Defender Wayne Bridge handled allowing Dimitar Berbatov to coolly stroke home an equalizer much to the delight of the Spurs fans. Tottenham continued to be the better side and put Chelsea under great pressure, despite this they could not force the winner that and the game nervously edged its way into extra time. Avram Grant’s one again looked sluggish and some tired legs meant conceding a crushing goal in the first half of extra time as Jonathon Woodgate headed home at the second attempt to hand his new side their first success since 1999.
Spurs 4 – 4 Chelsea – 19th March 2008
With a crucial period ahead of them Arvam Grant’s side looked to pressure to Manchester United and Arsenal by winning one of two games in hand. The blues travelled to White Hart Lane with one eye on avenge the defeat inflicted on them by Ramos’ side in the Carling Cup final. Once again however, they came up against a determined Spurs side, given belief by their Wembley victory. Ivorian Didier Drogba opened the scoring for Chelsea but Carling Cup hero Jonathon Woodgate equalized ten minutes later to level the scores. Michael Essien gave his side a second lead of the game when he scored half way through the first half before Joe Cole added a third in the second period. Going two goals behind seemed to galvanize Spurs and they looked to mount another comeback. Dimitar Berbatov gave Spurs hope as he made it 3-2 just as Chelsea began to look comfortable and with just ten minutes left Tom Huddlestone claimed an equalizer to put his side in with a great chance of sharing the points. Battling back again in determined fashion, Chelsea were given their third lead of the game when Joe Cole’s second fired in a second. There was still a twist in the tale however as in the dying moments the ball dropped to Robbie Keane who curled home a beautiful effort to give each side a point/.
Bolton 2 – 3 Arsenal – 29th March 2008
After a series of severe blows to their title ambitions, Arsenal faced up against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. Under Sam Allardyce Bolton frequently got the upper hand over Arsenal and the Gunners made a poor start to their latest test when Matt Taylor headed home. Things got worse for Wenger’s side when Diaby was sent off for a poor challenge on Greta Steinsen and then the crushing blow of a second goal looked as though it had wiped Arsenal out completely. In the second half however, Arsenal began to look like the team most likely to claim the next goal, exerting pressure with their excellent possession football. The away side found a way back into the game when a Fabregas corner was heased into the back of the net by William Gallas at the far post. Bolton’s backline began to look a extremely shaky and a penalty was awarded when a rash challenge brought down Alexander Hleb. Robin Van Persie took the responsibility of netting the equalizer from the spot as both sides began to look happy with a point. Drama came in the dying moments though as Arsenal sensed an opportunity to win the game. The inspirational Hleb fed in Fabregas who poked the ball towards goal, in their desperation to clear the ball, Bolton defenders Steinsen and Samuel got themselves in a terrible mix and combined to hand Arsenal a 3-2 victory.
Liverpool 4 – 2 Arsenal – 8th April 2008
Following a cagey 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium a week prior, Liverpool and Arsenal faced off in the Champions League for a place in the semi finals. Arsenal, despite stumbling somewhat in the Premiership, looked the stronger side in the opening stages and got an early goal through Abou Diaby. Looking for a way to strike back Liverpool began to crank up the pressure and inspired by the terrific Anfield support levelled the game up through Sami Hyypia who headed in from a corner. Both sides began to relax and the games tempo slowed after its frenetic opening. Both sides created chances but it took a wonderful goal in the second half from Fernando Torres to swing the game back in Liverpool’s favour. Despite having an extremely quiet game, the Spanish striker latched onto a headed from Peter Crouch took one touch to control and turn before smashing the ball past Almunia. With Arsenal needing to equalize they began throwing all they had at Liverpool and got duly reward for their hard work when a tremendous run by Theo Walcott set up Adebayor to tap home. The second goal looked to have sealed an away goals victory for Arsenal but determined to battle back once again Liverpool won a penalty through Ryan Babel. Steven Gerrard steered the ball home from the spot to leave Arsenal with a huge task and just a couple of minutes left. In their desperation for a goal the Gunners threw men forward but were caught on the counter attack by Babel again who raced through to net the fourth and decisive goal.
Manchester United 2 – 1 Arsenal – 13th April 2008
Just four days after having seen their Champions League hopes go up in smoke against Liverpool, the Gunners looked to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the league. Many questioned the mental strength of the team before the Old Trafford clash but in the first half, Arsenal came out and showed their usual slick passing ability. The away side were unlucky not to be ahead as Emmanuel Adebayor spurned several fantastic opportunities for his side and the game ended 0-0 at the break. In the second half, Manchester United came out much stronger but were shocked when Arsenal took the lead five minutes in through Togolese striker Adebayor. United reasserted themselves and changed the game with two substitutions, Tevez and Anderson came on to bring fresh impetus into the game and they soon began to look for a way back into the game. The Gunners found themselves under a great deal of pressure and failing to capitalise on their goal they conceded a penalty when Gallas handled in the area. The Gunners were duly punished for their sloppiness as Cristiano Ronaldo confidently netted from the spot. Arsenal soon began making frequent mistakes and when Gilberto Silva committed a needless foul on the edge of the area, Owen Hargreaves curled the resulting free kick past Lehman to push Manchester United on towards another Premier League title.
The first North London derby of the season proved to be a thrilling encounter as rivals Spurs and Arsenal met at White Hart Lane. After a bad start to the season, Spurs were looking to pick up their second victory in a week to keep pace with the top sides in the Premier League. The game started well for Spurs with Dimitar Berbatov opening the scoring with a cool finish in the opening twenty minutes. Arsenal looked shell shocked and attempted to play their way back into the game in the second half, but with Spurs looking to strike the killer blow an early goal was crucial. The Gunners began creating chances and soon found an equalizer when Adebayor beat Robinson to a curling free kick with an hour of the game gone. Arsenal began looking more confident and soon began to found their real form, ten minutes from the end and with the next goal set to be crucial, Cesc Fabregas tried his luck from thirty yards and found the top corner to give Arsenal the lead. As Spurs threw players forward looking to grab a dramatic late equalizer, Arsenal counter attacked with Fabregas who found Adebayor in space. The Togolese striker controlled before smashing a volley past the helpless Spurs goalkeeper to give Arsenal a much needed three points.
Portsmouth 7 – 4 Reading – 29th September 2007
In what will be recognized as one of the craziest games in Premier League history, Portsmouth faced Reading at Fratton Park in the early stages of the season. Having had a fairly poor start to the season the Royals were looking to build on their solitary point obtained in their opening weekend against Manchester United. Their best laid plans were soon in tatters however as Portsmouth went two up inside the first half. Reading’s response to going behind was a testament to their battling quality as just before half time Steven Hunt nipped into give his side a way back into the game. It got even better for Reading in the second period as they equalized three minutes gone after half time. Unfortunately for the away side, they were unable to consolidate their position as some poor defending allowed Portsmouth to retake a two goal lead inside the hour mark, Zimbabwean forward Benjani netting the third of a hat trick to make the score 4-2. Worse was to come as Reading soon began to implode, conceding a fifth before pulling one back to make it an eight goal thriller with fifteen minutes to go. Portsmouth weren’t finished yet though as Davis and Muntari added to the Pompey before Shorey pulled back yet another consolation to make the final score 7-4.
Spurs 4 – 4 Aston Villa – 1st October 2007
Suffering a bout of horrendously in-different form at the start of the season, Spurs looked to celebrate their 100th anniversary with a rousing home performance against Aston Villa. The game started well for Martin Jol’s side who took the lead through Berbatov in the opening minutes. The delight of the Spurs fans was incredibly short lived however as their flaky defence was once again exposed when Martin Laursen netted two headed goals in ten minutes to turn the game on its head. Agbonlahor netted a superb third at the end of the first half before Craig Gardner made the game seemingly out of sight at 4-1. Spurs, who had recently been pegged back at Fulham, threw caution to the wind and pulled a goal back through Chimbonda with half an hour to go. Villa now began to look a little tentative and became more defensive in their approach. The away side were forced onto the back foot for the first time in the game and conceded a penalty which saw them be pegged back to 4-3 with eight minutes left. As Tottenham gave it one last push they found themselves in luck when Younis Kabul slammed the ball home from close range in the final minute to end the night in dramatic fashion.
Everton 1 – 2 Liverpool – 20th October 2007
The season’s first Merseyside derby of the season did not disappoint as Liverpool met Everton at Goodison Park in October. With the form book out of the window as usual, Everton took the lead when the unlucky Sami Hyypia deflected into his own net with just ten minutes gone. Desperate to find a way back into the game in the second half, Liverpool began throwing more players forward though striker Dirk Kuyt was lucky to stay on the pitch as he dived into a crazy challenge with Phil Neville, his studs clearly high. Despite the injustice of the Dutchman not even receiving a card, he then became his side’s saviour when he equalized from the penalty spot. When Gerrard was fouled in the area by Tony Hibbert, the Everton player was dismissed and Liverpool made it 1-1. Soon the Liverpool captain was to follow Hibbert off the pitch when to his surprise Benitez decided to substitute him later in the second half. Although Everton fans were delighted to see their rivals talisman hauled off, the smile was soon wiped off their faces blue faces however as Kuyt was given another chance to score from the penalty spot and duly dispatched his second of the game. In the dying minutes of the game, Everton were struck by more bad luck as the referee refused to award a penalty when Joleen Lescott was blatantly wrestled to the ground by Jamie Carragher. Their misery was compounded in the final moments as Phil Neville was then dismissed for protesting as Everton ended the game with nine men and even worst lost out to their bitter rivals.
Wigan 5 – 3 Blackburn – 16th December 2007
Having struggled for consistency so far during the season, Wigan and Blackburn met in a fiery North West derby at the JJB Stadium. In a game which could see them pull away from the teams around them at the bottom of the league, Wigan began attacking their opponents from the first whistle. They made the perfect start when Landzaat smashed home the opening goal in the 10th minute after a good passage of play. Upon applying more pressure the home side made further break throughs as Marcus Bent and Paul Scharner struck big blows to Blackburn and effectively made the game over at 3-0. Just before half time however, Blackburn gave themselves hope by pulling a goal back through Roque Santa Cruz. After coming out from the break the Paraguayan struck twice more to make the score 3-3 and with the momentum, Rovers looked as if they could go onto win the game. The third of Santa Cruz’s hat trick was made even more astounding as mid way through the second half, the away side were reduced to ten men when they had Emerton sent off. Looking to claim one final goal which may win the game, Blackburn were caught up on the hop by Wigan who mustered two more goals through Marcus Bent in the final twenty minutes.
Chelsea 4 – 4 Aston Villa - 26th December 2007
With the festive period certain to be a decisive factor in the Premiership title race, Chelsea needed to pick up maximum points if they were to keep pace with Arsenal and Manchester United at the top of the league. Having lost their manager, a tough task faced Avram Grant as an in form Aston Villa side came to Stamford Bridge looking to keep their own European aspirations alive. Missing several key players from their team Chelsea looked vulnerable at the back and conceded an early goal to Shaun Maloney. The midfielder added a second before half time but as Villa switched off Shevchenko nipped in to win and score a penalty just before half time. To worsen their position, Villa had defender Zat Knight sent off for the offense and they were left with the task of holding of Chelsea at bay for the whole of the second half. The home side, boosted by the late first half strike, rallied in the second period and the Ukrainian Shevchenko netted to level up the scores before Brazilian Alex headed home his first goal to give the blues the lead for the first time in the game. Chelsea began to look comfortable but were shocked as a Martin Lauresen popped up for Villa to make it 3-3. The title chasing side were able to forge back ahead however as substitute Michael Ballack once more turned the score in Chelsea’s favour. Unfortunately for the home side, it wasn’t to be as Carvalho was sent off for a rash challenge late in the game and then Ashley Cole was given his marching orders in the final minute for bringing down Agbonlahor in the area. Gareth Barry coolly stepped up and with the final kick of the game equalized from the penalty spot to give Villa a share of the points.
Chelsea 1 – 2 Spurs – 24th February 2008
With the first major silverware of the season up for grabs, Spurs and Chelsea headed to Wembley for the second all London clash in the Carling Cup Final in two seasons. The heavily favoured blues were looking to defend the trophy they had claimed a season earlier and got off to a great start in the game when Didier Drogba fired them into the lead with a superb free kick. Chelsea had been second best throughout much of the game but having the lead gave them extra confidence heading into second half. Spurs came out from the break re-energised and found their way back into the game through a penalty. Defender Wayne Bridge handled allowing Dimitar Berbatov to coolly stroke home an equalizer much to the delight of the Spurs fans. Tottenham continued to be the better side and put Chelsea under great pressure, despite this they could not force the winner that and the game nervously edged its way into extra time. Avram Grant’s one again looked sluggish and some tired legs meant conceding a crushing goal in the first half of extra time as Jonathon Woodgate headed home at the second attempt to hand his new side their first success since 1999.
Spurs 4 – 4 Chelsea – 19th March 2008
With a crucial period ahead of them Arvam Grant’s side looked to pressure to Manchester United and Arsenal by winning one of two games in hand. The blues travelled to White Hart Lane with one eye on avenge the defeat inflicted on them by Ramos’ side in the Carling Cup final. Once again however, they came up against a determined Spurs side, given belief by their Wembley victory. Ivorian Didier Drogba opened the scoring for Chelsea but Carling Cup hero Jonathon Woodgate equalized ten minutes later to level the scores. Michael Essien gave his side a second lead of the game when he scored half way through the first half before Joe Cole added a third in the second period. Going two goals behind seemed to galvanize Spurs and they looked to mount another comeback. Dimitar Berbatov gave Spurs hope as he made it 3-2 just as Chelsea began to look comfortable and with just ten minutes left Tom Huddlestone claimed an equalizer to put his side in with a great chance of sharing the points. Battling back again in determined fashion, Chelsea were given their third lead of the game when Joe Cole’s second fired in a second. There was still a twist in the tale however as in the dying moments the ball dropped to Robbie Keane who curled home a beautiful effort to give each side a point/.
Bolton 2 – 3 Arsenal – 29th March 2008
After a series of severe blows to their title ambitions, Arsenal faced up against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. Under Sam Allardyce Bolton frequently got the upper hand over Arsenal and the Gunners made a poor start to their latest test when Matt Taylor headed home. Things got worse for Wenger’s side when Diaby was sent off for a poor challenge on Greta Steinsen and then the crushing blow of a second goal looked as though it had wiped Arsenal out completely. In the second half however, Arsenal began to look like the team most likely to claim the next goal, exerting pressure with their excellent possession football. The away side found a way back into the game when a Fabregas corner was heased into the back of the net by William Gallas at the far post. Bolton’s backline began to look a extremely shaky and a penalty was awarded when a rash challenge brought down Alexander Hleb. Robin Van Persie took the responsibility of netting the equalizer from the spot as both sides began to look happy with a point. Drama came in the dying moments though as Arsenal sensed an opportunity to win the game. The inspirational Hleb fed in Fabregas who poked the ball towards goal, in their desperation to clear the ball, Bolton defenders Steinsen and Samuel got themselves in a terrible mix and combined to hand Arsenal a 3-2 victory.
Liverpool 4 – 2 Arsenal – 8th April 2008
Following a cagey 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium a week prior, Liverpool and Arsenal faced off in the Champions League for a place in the semi finals. Arsenal, despite stumbling somewhat in the Premiership, looked the stronger side in the opening stages and got an early goal through Abou Diaby. Looking for a way to strike back Liverpool began to crank up the pressure and inspired by the terrific Anfield support levelled the game up through Sami Hyypia who headed in from a corner. Both sides began to relax and the games tempo slowed after its frenetic opening. Both sides created chances but it took a wonderful goal in the second half from Fernando Torres to swing the game back in Liverpool’s favour. Despite having an extremely quiet game, the Spanish striker latched onto a headed from Peter Crouch took one touch to control and turn before smashing the ball past Almunia. With Arsenal needing to equalize they began throwing all they had at Liverpool and got duly reward for their hard work when a tremendous run by Theo Walcott set up Adebayor to tap home. The second goal looked to have sealed an away goals victory for Arsenal but determined to battle back once again Liverpool won a penalty through Ryan Babel. Steven Gerrard steered the ball home from the spot to leave Arsenal with a huge task and just a couple of minutes left. In their desperation for a goal the Gunners threw men forward but were caught on the counter attack by Babel again who raced through to net the fourth and decisive goal.
Manchester United 2 – 1 Arsenal – 13th April 2008
Just four days after having seen their Champions League hopes go up in smoke against Liverpool, the Gunners looked to keep the pressure on Manchester United at the top of the league. Many questioned the mental strength of the team before the Old Trafford clash but in the first half, Arsenal came out and showed their usual slick passing ability. The away side were unlucky not to be ahead as Emmanuel Adebayor spurned several fantastic opportunities for his side and the game ended 0-0 at the break. In the second half, Manchester United came out much stronger but were shocked when Arsenal took the lead five minutes in through Togolese striker Adebayor. United reasserted themselves and changed the game with two substitutions, Tevez and Anderson came on to bring fresh impetus into the game and they soon began to look for a way back into the game. The Gunners found themselves under a great deal of pressure and failing to capitalise on their goal they conceded a penalty when Gallas handled in the area. The Gunners were duly punished for their sloppiness as Cristiano Ronaldo confidently netted from the spot. Arsenal soon began making frequent mistakes and when Gilberto Silva committed a needless foul on the edge of the area, Owen Hargreaves curled the resulting free kick past Lehman to push Manchester United on towards another Premier League title.