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2 Final - Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,128
Arsenal 2 - 1 Man Utd
Robin Van Persie (83)
Thierry Henry (90)
Wayne Rooney (53)
1
Preview Match Gamecast Report
Updated: Jan. 21, 2007, 1:21 PM ET
Arsenal 2-1 Man Utd
Arsenal came from behind to beat Premiership leaders Manchester United with two late goals at the Emirates Stadium.
MikeHewitt/GettyImages
Jens Lehmann makes a save from Manchester United striker Henrik Larsson.
Substitute Robin van Persie had cancelled out Wayne Rooney's early first-half strike with just seven minutes left, before captain Thierry Henry powered in a stoppage-time header to seal a dramatic win for the Gunners and signal their intent to have a say in the destiny of the title and the race for automatic Champions League qualification.
Despite their defeat in north London, United remain six points clear of Chelsea in second place and 12 ahead of Arsenal, who are fourth.
• Wenger: 'Title race is open'
• Van Persie fractures foot
But Sir Alex Ferguson will know that lead could have been more convincing had they remained composed following what was at times a scrappy affair, which until the closing moments never seemed destined to stick in the memory.
It had been a positive start by United, playing in their blue change strip.
Ryan Giggs found space 20 yards out for a curling shot, which flew just wide.
Arsenal - without suspended Brazilian Gilberto - struggled to break the visitors down in midfield but eventually started to see more of the ball.
Henry flashed in an angled shot from the left touchline which flew straight at United keeper Edwin Van der Sar.
Referee Steve Bennett - who earlier this season sent Gunners boss Arsene Wenger to the stands - soon had to diffuse another potential flashpoint when full-back Emmanuel Eboue and Rooney tussled on the touchline, with both players raising their arms.
Good work from Alexander Hleb and Cesc Fabregas then got Emmanuel Adebayor away down the right.
His cross was deflected past the on-rushing Mathieu Flamini and Tomas Rosicky flashed the loose ball over the crossbar from 18 yards.
Arsenal then created the best chance of the game so far.
Adebayor got away on the right again and his cross hung up perfectly for Henry at the far post.
However, the normally clinical Frenchman could only head the ball straight back at Van der Sar.
Giggs was flagged onside following a chip through by Paul Scholes, but he could not make the most of the opportunity as Jens Lehmann comfortably collected his cross-***-shot from the left.
In the final minute of the first half, Henry tested van der Sar with a low 25-yard strike after his initial free-kick had been blocked by the wall.
There was still time for Lehmann to make a superb finger-tip save onto the bar to turn over Rooney's brilliant half-volley, after the ball had dropped to him some 25 yards out.
United continued to win the midfield battle and after 53 minutes they took the lead.
Cristiano Ronaldo fed Patrice Evra on the overlap down the left and the full-back dashed forward to drill the ball across the six-yard box.
Kolo Toure could only touch it on towards the far post, where Rooney was on hand to head in his first goal for eight matches.
With just seven minutes to go, Fabregas won the ball on the right, just outside the penalty area.
Rosicky took possession and drilled over a low cross into the six-yard box.
Henry flicked it on towards the back post where Van Persie arrived on cue to smash the ball up into the roof of the net for his 13th goal of the season.
Just when it seemed the match was set to end all square, Henry was perfectly positioned to meet Eboue's pinpoint cross with a bullet header which gave van der Sar no chance - and the cheers could, no doubt, be heard all the way across in west London.
Wenger: 'Title race is open'
'They wanted so much to kill the time that it turned against them as well, because they lost a bit of their game.
'With 10 minutes to go Manchester United were maybe champions, but at the end of the game you cannot say that.
'It will open it up for everybody.
'For us and Liverpool a little bit less, but you never know.'
'Of course Manchester United will still be strong challengers for the title.
'This will be a big disappointment for Manchester United - but do not expect them to crumble because of it.
'But it is good for the interest of the Premiership, because everybody still has a chance.
'We have maybe less than all the others, but will just try to fight to win every game.'
'We were a bit nervous at the start and gave them a bit too much respect.
'It took us time to get into the game.
'In the first half, Manchester United were more mature. Then we took over in the second half, but they scored on the break.
'It was a test of character, resilience and togetherness, qualities which are very important for the development of the team.
'This team is developing into young, hungry lions, lead well by Henry.'
'Now we come to a period where every game matters,' the Arsenal manager added.
'Our target is to sustain that run.'
Alex Ferguson said: 'Teams at the top always drop points on the run-in. It happens - but how you cope is important.
'Only true champions come out and show their worth - and I expect us to do that.'
Ferguson vowed his side would learn from their late capitulation - and use it as a spur for the rest of the campaign.
'When I look at it we have some important away games to come and this will be good for us - we won't be making the same mistake,' the United boss said earlier to Sky Sports 1.
'We lost two goals from a position I did not think we would.
'At this moment in time we are so disappointed.
'We have a game less (to play) and are a goal better off (than Chelsea). So it is not all doom and gloom.'
Van Persie fractures foot'
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has sustained a 'partial fracture' to his foot.
The Dutch player suffered the injury when scoring the equalising goal in today's 2-1 Barclays Premiership defeat of Manchester United.
After watching captain Thierry Henry score a stoppage-time winner, Gunners boss Arsene Wenger revealed he had hoped to let substitute van Persie - currently the club's top scorer - rest until United's opener forced his hand. The 23-year-old had been struggling with an ankle injury in the build-up to the game.
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