That's Entertainment

Old Trafford was packed with a record Premiership crowd and they weren’t disappointed, because this game produced arguably the best contest between Manchester United and Arsenal for years – and one which was spared the unpleasantness which has so often marred the occasion in the past.

This was the battle of the entertainers, two resurgent sides who have enormous respect, if not always affection, for one another and who on their day can produce football which is beyond the rest of the Premiership. And fortunately, this was one of those days.

The first 15 minutes or so belonged to Arsenal. They had more than 60% possession and they used it to mesmerise and terrify Manchester United in wave after wave of irresistible inventive attacking play which had everything except goals – though they came very close when Robin Van Persie forced a superb one handed save from Edwin Van der Saar.

At the other end, as United came more into the game, Jens Lehmann was obliged to demonstrate why he has been chosen as Germany’s number one keeper for this year’s World Cup. But the truth is, Manchester United always looked more likely scorers, largely because of the influence of Wayne Rooney – though it took two defensive errors by Arsenal to win them the game. First, Silvestre’s brilliant cross fizzed over Senderos and fell short of Flamini, allowing Rooney to beat Lehmann from close range. And then, one momentary lapse of concentration from Eboue gave Park the opportunity to nip in and put the result beyond doubt.

United’s victory keeps alive their faint hope of catching, and overhauling, Chelsea. It is not beyond the bounds of possibility and they have done this sort of thing before. And after this game, there may even be one or two Arsenal supporters who hope they are successful – not least because Manchester United have yet to play Spurs, but largely because they will feel that if the Premiership is beyond Arsenal, it really ought to be won by a genuinely entertaining side.