Barclays Premier League player ratings: Manchester United 1 – 0 Arsenal FC (Part 1)
Manchester United
Edwin van der saar – 6.5
It was an easy outing for the legendary goalkeeper who would have been expecting a busier night. Van der Saar was hardly tested in the first half while making a good save on Nasri in the second.
Rafael Da Silva – 7
The Brazilian is slowly developing into a quality wing back. While his attacking contribution is always top-notch, Rafael was rarely found wanting in defence. If the youngster can keep up the good work, Manchester United have one
gem of a player at their disposal.
Nemanja Vidic – 8
With Rio Ferdinand entering the twilight of his career and getting increasingly error prone, Nemanja Vidic has come out as the real leader. Last night, Vidic was his usually dominant self and had Marouane Chamakh in his pocket
for much of the game.
Rio Ferdinand – 7
It was yet another no-nonsense defensive display from The Three lions’ captain. While Vidic was busy dominating Chamakh, Ferdinand found time on the ball and displayed some mature passing throughout the match.
Patrice Evra – 7
Samir Nasri had been in stunning form coming into this game but Evra kept the Frenchman at bay for much of it. Furthermore, Evra ventured forward to good effect and linked up well with his fellow attackers.
Nani – 7
It was yet another impressive display from the Portuguese who started the game by roasting Clichy on the right wing. The good work continued as Nani came agonisingly close to scoring with a diving shot from a poor Arsenal clearance
before delivering the cross for the only goal of the game.
Darren Fletcher - 6.5
In a performance full of running and energy, Fletcher covered every blade of grass to win the ball for his team. Fletcher might not be the best of passers but his work-rate is a lethal asset in Alex Ferguson’s Man. U.
Anderson – 7.5
The Brazilian had failed to live up to the expectations over the years following his transfer from FC Porto but tonight was one of his better days. In a rather un-Brazilian performance, Anderson put his physical game to good effect
and came close to scoring in the second half.
Michael Carrick – 6.5
Carrick put in a good performance on the night with quality interceptions and never let Arsenal play their natural game in the final third. Furthermore, he was assured in possession and kept the midfield ticking.
Ji-Sung Park – 7.5
The Korean was the goal scoring hero for the Red Devils. Park’s work-rate was second to none and while his passing was not top notch at times, he more than made up for it with an excellent header to win the game.
Wayne Rooney – 7
Rooney is slowly discovering his best form and that showed on the night. Starting the night with a clever turn and shot to draw a save from Wojciech Szczesny, he continued to link up superbly with his teammates. However, his poor
penalty miss in the second half would have dealt his confidence a huge blow.
Substitutes:
Ryan Giggs – 5.5
The veteran was brought in with five minutes to spare and had little time to make an impact.
Contd. in Part 2
Tags: